gain
Stevenson Ranch, CA
2019, Senior, Poetry & Spoken Word
It coughs carbon dioxide into me
22 million tons. Every day
They care not that I suffer relentlessly
Poisoned by my children I should say
30x more acidic than I should be
Yes, keep driving
My reefs are harmed
Your gas doesn’t help my coral
Calcium carbonate. I need it
You know it—and you dare starve me.
Watch. Give me a century
We’ll see then who starves
Sure, build your fire
Gasoline. Diesel.
Is there not a cleaner source?
Why do you have such fast refills?
Do you not have remorse?
Is this not an issue big enough to enforce?
I see all talk but no action
For decades, this movement gained no traction
Why? for faster transportation
Do you not know, your agriculture takes fault also?
Please watch the methane from your sow
They produce a nonstop flow
—because greenhouse gases include CH4
The emissions from your agricultural soil
A combined 10% source of my pain
N2O, drainage, fertilizers—can’t you foil?
Stop now with your trial and error
There is no need for so much down the drain
These chemicals do so much terror
The reason why? So farmers can gain
Those who listened, do not fret
Humans may be stubborn
But my fate is still not set
“Politics” don’t justify the quarrel
United—we can still decimate this threat
Prove to me you still have morals
Show me that you care
About the bleaching of my corals
This tragedy. we can still repair
Reflection
Reflection
Last summer I went on a vacation to Oahu, Hawaii, and went scuba diving. There I saw a beautiful ecosystem that relied heavily on the coral reefs; however, I saw signs asking visitors to be careful around the coral and to help preserve the reefs. This piqued my interest and I did some research; that’s when I found out about the effects of coral bleaching. I was really shocked by how agriculture, transportation, and the manufacturing of electricity releases dangerous greenhouse gases, which in turn damages the coral reefs by starving them of calcium carbonate. It is then I realized that humanity needs to take concrete steps toward the preservation of our beautiful coral reefs. I wanted to get more involved ,and to that I need to build my knowledge of the ecosystem. That is why I signed up to take AP Environmental Science this year; I want to expand my knowledge of not only coral reefs, but the environment as a whole. I hope that I can create more compelling works in the future to inspire other young minds to take action for our oceans.