We Are Drowning
Saratoga, CA
2021, Senior, Poetry & Spoken Word
Mother is drowning, and no one is coming.
Tossed overboard long ago in acrimony as
she moaned in a cacophony of wind and rain.
No one else hears her despondent cries for
help or as she screams and begs.
Mother is drowning, and no one is coming
“Be careful,” the crew warns, “The water is deep.”
Do they not realize how far we’ve already sunk?
Do they not hear mother’s cries the way I do?
Her hot, heavy, industrial tears that fell with a Clang!
echo in my mind,
louder
and LOUDER.
The guilty weight in my stomach sinks our boat and drowns us alongside her,
submerged in icy, polar water
The Captain says not to worry, as the storm will fade,
and that our strong craft, built on land from
smoke and steam,
will ride out the murky water as always.
I wonder if we take the soot and smog in our eyes as fog
and if they have finally seen the diminutive leak in the hull.
If they do, they do not show it
Now where can we return to? Where is our city?
Our glorious land of
wonder and knowledge with incandescent lights is
hidden beneath the tranquil, cloying waves
Frigid water gushes through the
nefarious rupture in our stalwart vessel.
Our voyage, sparked by
curiosity, and fueled by greed, has come to an
end. The Captain’s eyes finally meet mine as
we sink
into the inky water and fade into oblivion.
We are drowning, and no one is coming
But deep beneath the waves, light still shines, and I
open my eyes to see Mother as she
smiles with tired eyes and equanimity.
Her hand is warm as she holds me and whispers
“Welcome home”
Reflection
My poem was based purely on my emotions and what I already know regarding the rising tides. Although I'm not normally the loudest in the class, words and writing are my way of expressing emotions in their rawest form. My poem started as a messy metaphor for the fear I have towards climate change. As I began writing, my worries came to me in the form of "Mother" (as in Mother Nature) trying to warn me of the dangers ahead if we fail to take action. The poem has a relatively dark tone throughout it, and I often wondered if I should try to make it brighter; however, I came to the conclusion that I truly am afraid of what may come and that trying to fake my emotions undermines my overall message. I hope that those who may read my poem realize the gravity of our planet's growing environmental issues and take my words to heart. In the poem, I reference myself as the only one who hears Mother crying or sees the leak in the boat, representing my frequent thoughts of dread. Sometimes it feels as though I'm the only one who can see the current problems while others–like The Captain–remain ignorant. Although I sometimes grapple with feelings of hopelessness and despair, I know I am responsible for doing my part in caring for the Earth. Since I was a child, I've always been reminded to turn the lights off when not using them or to walk to nearby places rather than driving, but that is no longer enough. We all must do more because our planet is suffering, and only we, as a united front, can ease its pain.