A Reflective Perspective
Vancouver, Canada
2021, Senior, Poetry & Spoken Word
water is but a mirror that reflects our future clearly
all of our reflections have long looked gray and dreary
i find it increasingly difficult to believe
with unfolding events, there is a future for our crystal seas
with every passing second, any last glimmer of hope flees
how can you say that
we can still do anything
with our idealized concept of law
i can see with perfect acuity
the battles for distant communities
will quickly be replaced with
corporations creating dramas and discord which
will thrive
any initiative which we so carefully construct
is going to slowly but surely drown
this overwhelming pessimism
flourishing and growing
rippling out into society
we see that with our ideas
we can’t bring change
with spreading dismay
it is just a matter of time
once all of this has started, there is no going back
countless projects, organizations, initiatives fighting for this cause
we are working day and night to create a better world
still, a billion people don’t have clean water
it is hopeless
how can you say that
we can help everyone
[now read from back to front]
Reflection
Reflection
With this poem, I tried to take a unique look at the stand our society has on climate change and rising water. Like with all matters, our ideology reflects how effective we will be with working and overcoming difficulties, and I wanted to capture that perspective in my writing. To create a more accurate context, I combined opposing views into one piece instead of dividing them into separate sections to demonstrate how intermixed these attitudes are. I wanted to convey a story with this poem: there are two roads we can take with the battle for providing clean water, and the only way to succeed is if we take the one filled with optimism. With this project, I learned how important it is to never give up. Even with the large challenges that communities are facing, pessimism would not be helpful and get anyone anywhere. The only way to succeed is by trying and giving this battle everything we have. When going through my daily routines, I realize that every drop I save has an impact, rather than thinking that these small acts won’t matter. Writing this poem for the Ocean Awareness Contest gave me a great opportunity to learn, grow, and further connect with the environment, which further compels me to strive towards a more sustainable future.