I can’t hear the ocean’s cries…
San Diego, CA
2024, Junior, Poetry & Spoken Word
And so I wonder how it must feel to be the ocean,
to hold so much life yet be treated like nothing.
Cradling the world in your waves,
while we turn a blind eye to your pain.
To be vast and mighty, yet so vulnerable,
to be taken for granted until you’re gone.
Fourteen years and never seen a sick sea,
just echoes of what it’s supposed to be.
I’ll be walking past beaches, toes in warm sand,
seeking the Earth’s heartbeat,
but it will be faint…like an old, forgotten song,
whispers of a world slipping away.
I know what the ocean struggles with,
the oil spills, the plastic, the dying corals.
Weruin mother nature’s most beautiful treasure with reckless abandon,
Forgetting that our survival depends on her grace.
But I can’t speak for her,
my words would never be enough.
People say it’s somewhere else’s problem,
another coast, another world…
But I feel it in the air, a heavy sorrow,
an unseen weight pressing down.
Rising seas swallow shores whole,
their slow march a testament to our excess.
We mourn the loss of our beach fronts,
ignoring the warning in their retreat,
And as it happens I long to dive deep, touch dying corals,
hold a sea turtle’s flipper and apologize.
But I’m just a kid with a pen,
my words feel too small to save something so big…
…Still, maybe my words can be a lifeline,
a tiny buoy in a sea of indifference.
I vow to remember…
Silent waves bear witness to our deafness,
And beneath their calm the ocean weeps.
Reflection
Reflection
Until recently, my knowledge of the ocean was pretty limited, mostly from biology classes. But as I learned more, I started to see how amazing and fragile it really is. This inspired me to express my concerns through art. Creating this poem was intense; it made me feel sad about how we're hurting the ocean but also hopeful that we can make things better. My goal with this poem is to show how urgent it is to protect the ocean and to inspire others to take action. I've also learned a lot about climate change and its impact, especially on the ocean. I realize now that we all need to do our part, which is why I want to start a club that not only cleans up our community but also raises awareness and pushes for change. I can't really say much about it yet, because I plan on starting it in my sophomore year, but I want to start a club called 'Teen Nexus' where it connects other clubs, has events for the community, fundraisers and has organized clean ups. Honestly, if I wanted people to take anything with it, it would be thoughts. Thoughts of this could mean, thoughts of what our feature could be, thoughts of the ocean.