The Spirals
Pune, India
2024, Senior, Poetry & Spoken Word
A spiral of endless threat—
everyday I read about deaths rooted in climate change
everyday I witness destruction, slow and lethal
everyday I see time ticking away
people unaware
A spiral of endless torture—
I dream about my mother and my childhood
same places
two different worlds
While nature thrives in her memories
she enjoyed
plucking fruits
playing under the shade
spending hot days beside river beds
listening to melodies of the living world
humming along with birds
I fear the day
when nature would slip away
its cloak of harmony
wounded
unable to sustain
ready to seek revenge
The death rattle clear in my head
a monster
Nature or Me?
both desperate for change
A spiral of endless turmoil—
a fuzzy buzz
everyone’s interdependent in the complex world
Tragedy of the Commons
what to do?
who to ask for help?
Is this really everybody’s mess?
Millions are dying of hunger and war crime
and thousands can barely survive
Can the environment really be their priority?
Others sit and eat as if what was happening was on a TV
is it their fault
are they aware or
have they been greenwashed?
Where the world leaders are?
Who’s to blame
Who will clean up this mess
Where am I in this rubble?
Troubled
A spiral of endless tries—
Troubled
when I am immersed in darkness
lost in a maze
I seek strength from stories of hope
Activists, Organisations and NGOs
From the power of community.
I feel responsible for change
I am sure I’ll find similar souls on my way
even if it’s slow I’ll start
even if the impacts aren’t visible
even if it’s a long walk
even if it means I’ll fall
I’ll change and advocate
I stand for a cause
I have a voice too
I want the simplicity of life back
and being around nature for true
Reflection
My climate journey isn't one of grand success or hope. I would often start small initiatives which would eventually come to a halt. I felt annoyed at my lack of continuity. The Ocean Awareness Contest allowed me to reflect on my climate journey that helped me realize the spirals I work in: Threat - Reading current affairs and articles about the environment. Torture - Seeing the impacts of climate change in my community. Turmoil - Confusion over where to begin? How to begin? How will the issue resolve? Trial - Emergence of hope and small initiatives. This made me realize my attempts aren't failures. They are at least something. Writing this poem gave me a sense of relief. These initiatives are the path of discovery and understanding things I care for.