Commercial Break: Coming Soon
Jacksonville, FL
2022, Senior, Poetry & Spoken Word
Curse you, heroes!
If you hadn’t been tipped off,
I would’ve gotten away with—
Interrupting your regularly scheduled program:
Who needs water?
Our company experts say:
Water makes up a percentage of your body,
but not all of it.
Water is a habitat to a percentage of animals,
but not all of them.
But, do you know what is one hundred percent true?
It is—
Breaking news:
The sea level has risen significantly;
our neighboring city is officially underwater.
Evacuations to higher ground are still ongoing.
If you are located in the following areas,
please pay attention to the direction the water is flowing.
Remember to inform your neighbors:
Be wary of sharp objects in floating trash,
and potentially hazardous vapors.
We need—
Stay tuned for our irregularly scheduled climate:
Crisis ongoing.
…
Welcome back to your regularly scheduled program:
You!
I should’ve split you all up when I had the chance,
even though you look powerless at first glance…
Reflection
I'm well aware that some businesses have unfriendly marketing strategies, and intrusive ads make things worse. As a frequent fiction reader, I’ve also read my fair share of dystopian plotlines. For this piece, I condensed that feeling of futuristic dystopia that many feel we are seeing the beginning of. However, the reality is that there’s a lot that can be done to ensure a better future. Individual actions are a step in the right direction, but group efforts and demonstrations are better. Climate change has always been a significant issue to me. Seeing so many negative articles and updates leaves me feeling hopeless sometimes, but I have to remember: the best is yet to come. There are still positive updates on the way. I hope people understand that it is not too late to start taking action, and everyone can be heroic in one way or another.