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Silver Award icon
Currents
Austin Jex
Federal Way, WA
2015, Senior, Poetry & Spoken Word

We have learned, that, as the wind,
We can also move and spin

A current of a different kind:
Plastic waste that we have mined.

Petroleum we use today
Reaches oceans far away.

Plastic bags and motor oil
Ruins rivers, streams and soil.

Dump our garbage where we please,
Throw it freely through the seas.

The destination it desires
Is an endless circling garbage gyre.

We are mighty as the wind,
For we control, we move and spin

The contents of  the deepest crust.
We command, just as the gust.

But though we think that we are strong
We use our strength to do what’s wrong.

We overuse, kill and abuse,
pollute, destroy, corrupt, misuse.

We take the Earth In its pure state,
And we exploit, manipulate

The elements that it contains.
We spoil the planet for our gain.      

But why do we destroy the Earth?
The very place, which from our birthHas only helped us to survive.
It’s kept us fed, warm, safe, alive.

Why not learn from the wind
The power that resides within

To treat this earth respectfully
And move with it in harmony?

Let’s take the Earth in its pure state
And beautify, cooperate.

Let’s use our hands for good, not bad.
Reduce our harm, instead of add.

And what, you ask are you to do?
Don’t ask me. Let you ask you.

The answer lies in daily choice
To love the Earth and raise a voice.

So ask yourself internally
Are you content with what you see?

Are you happy with the way
You treat the planet day by day?

Are the things you do and say
Constructive in a helpful way?

Look at how your currents move.
Do they hinder or improve?

Austin Jex
Reflection
Reflection

My poem, which is titled “Currents,” is a literary piece that emphasizes the importance of individual choice and accountability as a way to encourage sustainability and conservation of the Earth. I wrote the poem to make the reader consider their own actions and the consequences of those actions. Using the metaphor of the wind, I expressed how we as humans have a profound impact on the planet and its purity. I tried to stress the impact of pollution by talking about plastic corrupting the ocean. I invited the reader to make a personal internal reflection about how their choices impact Earth. Overall, I want my poem to have an impact on someone’s actions that will benefit the planet that we live on. If I can aid one person in making more responsible decisions, I will have succeeded.

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Currents

Congratulations winners of the 2025 Ocean Awareness Contest! View the innovative new collection of student work here!

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