Gaia
Redondo Beach, CA
2020, Senior, Poetry & Spoken Word
How beautiful she was,
on a scale of titans,
how small the intricacies seemed
the currents embroidered swirling in cerulean,
the clouds a veil over the
green-worn-brown land.
How slowly,
on a scale of gnats,
she seemed to change.
In the eyes of man
her tides ebbed and flowed.
So what?
They are limitless, let them
carry our oil
inch by inch
over the bleached shells
of dying organisms.
Let her paint them with our ink.
Her clouds lofted at heights
man was not meant to know.
So he does not lift his head.
Who cares?
Let the wastes of our labors
drift over them, mix
the sky is eternal, you know,
the refuse lifts away and is forgotten.
Let her smell of our perfume.
Her land was there for the taking,
expansive, awesome,
why would she put it here
if not for us to consume?
Wood is needed
so take of her trees
think nothing of them,
think nothing of the bleach with which we scourge her forests,
think only of the heights we have reached
the ground we have covered,
the progress we have made.
Men think themselves titans,
yet see only through the eyes of gnats;
the tide ebbs and flows
the clouds float clear
the land is there.
Why worry?
To be titans
we must see
the current carries our ink
the clouds our fumes
the land our waste.
We are not gnats.
Stop pretending we are gnats.
See through the eyes of a titan,
act on the scale of a titan,
know, as a titan,
actions have consequences or rewards;
choose one, keep in mind,
a mural cannot be repainted in a single broad stroke.
It is the intricacies that count.
Reflection
Reflection
I have long been interested in combating climate change, but I've always felt frustrated at the lack of foresight certain companies and governments display in joining the universal fight. This poem was born out of that frustration; large corporations hold great influence over our world, yet they seem to not think beyond the short term. If we want to make any significant reduction from humanity's carbon footprint, these huge organizations need to take initiative and hold themselves responsible. However, the power that these entities hold can be used for the force of good. Many businesses are taking steps to lessen their environmental impact and move towards zero-net emissions. These cases give me hope; if those with power use it responsibly, we can start to move towards a brighter future. Even if I'm not the CEO of a large corporation, I still recognize that I can do small things to help the environment. The best way to decrease one's carbon footprint is to cut down or eliminate meat from their diet, so I do not eat red meat and opt for vegetarian options when possible. If we all do our part, we'll get through this together.