Hang Upside Down With Me
Palo Alto, CA
2020, Junior, Poetry & Spoken Word
Hang upside down with me
on a broken cloud above
waves. That way, when you cry,
you water the ocean with your tears and
lives can bloom where once there were traces of sadness.
Hang upside down with me
on a drift of oil tattooing
smoking lead on vivid red. That way, when you breath,
your heart pains black with
Styx curses; frozen dreams six feet under sea floors.
Hang upside down with me
on a sheet of plastic
drowning. That way, when you open your eyes to see the starry sky,
you would notice the silent begging
The trillions lost and dead with black cursing their veins.
Hang upside down with me
across the ocean floor
singing. That way, when you sigh,
the air floats up towards the spring breeze only
to be ensnared by sinner’s feathers, encasing grease.
Hang upside down with me
upside down
suspended. That way, when you smell,
you might remember the salty taste the beating
of ocean sighs centuries centuries ago.
Hang upside down with me
dream only do not look
forget forget do not forgive. That way, when you hope,
you do not turn away scarred by “impossible.” Keep your hope
while the blood runs sick and dead and glowing shadows.
Hang upside down with me
on the morning rise
silent. That way, when you scream,
with her pain people would
hear heal
Hang upside down with me
across a ceiling darker than oil
looking up. That way, when you cry,
your tears water the burning stars
golden whispers far above. Echoes as real as the star,
As real as her tears and yours together in a transparent blue hope that
lives can bloom where once there were traces of sadness.
Reflection
Reflection
My work was inspired by Alan Walker's song "Different World." It reminds us that while the world we have right now is not ideal, we still have time. Researching ocean pollution was not pretty; it was not meant to be a pleasant experience. And it was easy to see that even though many nonprofit organizations work diligently to cleanse the ocean, it isn't enough. Hope was slowly replaced with despair, which was then retaken by new determination. It's useless to just stare openmouthed at a huge problem and think about how impossible it seems. All any of us can do is to utilize our talents to raise awareness and inspire changes. My poem was meant to expose the horrors that humans have inflicted upon our oceans and to raise hope. In my research, I've learned that the best way to fix ocean pollution (other than signing a multi-trillion-dollar check) is to raise awareness. The knowledge that if we can cause something, we can also undo it if we are determined, gave me hope. I've written several poems about climate change and donated some of my savings to charities. I'll also start using metal straws and bring my own bottle to Starbucks and Teaspoon.