I am Everything
Boston, MA
2020, Senior, Poetry & Spoken Word
They say I AM EVERYTHING
The connection between what flows and stills,
who breathes.
Do they mean it?
Do I support the world the best I can?
I know I try.
Absorbing atmospheric darkness which they’ve invited,
Releasing the nectar of life.
Darkness like that of the left-behind waste,
Waste of which is seen non-lethal when weighed with its lit outcomes.
Waste of which the mangroves and seagrass meadows must work harder for,
Of which they need to capture and guard.
They don’t seem to see,
That it means more work for me.
Or maybe they do see,
This new change in my chemistry.
This new heat, the way I’ve grown.
The way I sway different,
Sometimes connecting with land I haven’t come close to.
Sometimes destroying cities,
I never meant to.
Taking up 70/100,
Yet supporting the whole sphere.
They say I AM EVERYTHING,
And what they say seems to be correct.
The way I flow through time and place,
Through anatomy of all kinds.
But I’m afraid to say that I’m feeling unwell.
This heat that seems to only get worse,
It’s rising me higher than i’ve ever been,
Destroying the shells of those I support.
Not to mention the glaciers which once helped in returning this heat,
They seem to have thawed,
Leaving me to contain it.
They say I AM EVERYTHING,
I am,
So why not start trying to heal me.
Start by limiting trash,
Its left-behind gases only heat me up more,
Look into composting so your plants can grow while I take a breather.
Fumes will be reduced,
Once sharing becomes more common.
Particularly in transportation.
Then there’s corporate,
Use the power of wind instead of digging up old bones.
They say I AM EVERYTHING,
Couldn’t have it any other way.
The nourishment and substance I give out,
Is enough to have me waving.
Before it’s too late,
Ensure that those within are still wading.
Before it’s too late,
Start changing before all is fading.
For I AM EVERYTHING.
Works Cited
“Ocean and Climate Change.” The Ocean Foundation, 7 Apr. 2020, oceanfdn.org/ocean-and-climate-change/.
Reflection
Reflection
When writing my poem, I wanted to make it from the point-of-view of the ocean without announcing it. I did this to be able to introduce the topic of climate change and the changes of the ocean in a first-person perspective that was easy for people to understand. I personally have found that I often develop a greater connection with a cause when seeing art that's reflected through personification, and so I really wanted to have the poem revolve around this “character.” By seeing the ocean as a character rather than nature, people may be more sympathetic to hear of all that the ocean does for the ecosystem, only to be neglected and not prioritized. I also wanted to make sure that the poem was not a sob story. While I wanted to make the consequences of climate change on the ocean very apparent, I also wanted to include a message of hope in the form of solutions. They include ones like using less trash, more composting, as well as advocating for renewable energy instead of fossil fuels. Through my exploration of the Ocean Awareness Contest, I've learned that the ocean plays a bigger role than I thought, and that it’s up to us to advocate for change before it's too late. It is also important for society to change our goal from building and gaining, to protecting and conserving our oceans since they are all we have.