In Your Hands
Peach Bottom, PA
2020, Junior, Poetry & Spoken Word
It is quite hard when no one understands
The change is growing as the times go by
The oceans of the world are in your hands
The climate affects species, all the brands
But noxious gasses still are in supply
It is quite hard when no one understands
They still surround their hearts with iron bands
With melting ice, the bears must say good-bye
The oceans of the world are in your hands
Know everything’s connected in all lands
With acid waves, see ocean creatures die
It is quite hard when no one understands
The fish and turtles cannot take their stands
The Earth depends on you, as does the sky
The oceans of the world are in your hands
Oh Mother Ocean, she can’t make demands
Grandmother Nature, will she be now shy?
It is quite hard when no one understands
The oceans of the world are in your hands
Works Cited
Bennett, Jennifer, et al. “Ocean Acidification.” Smithsonian Ocean, 20 June 2019, ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/invertebrates/ocean-acidification.
“Polar Bears and Climate Change.” WWF, World Wildlife Fund, www.worldwildlife.org/pages/polar-bears-and-climate-change.
Reflection
Reflection
I went outside a lot when trying to find inspiration for this project, even though I don’t live near the ocean. Everything is connected. I knew that I wanted to speak from the perspective of some fictional aquatic creature, fully aware of human impact, but the project idea didn't really fall together until we finished our "Romeo and Juliet" unit in Language Arts. I was intrigued by Shakespeare’s poems. I wanted to show with this villanelle how important each individual is to the bigger picture, which is why it is named “In Your Hands” instead of “In Our Hands.” I wanted to stress to the reader that their contribution has an impact. This project has definitely made me more conscious of how simple everyday actions pile up and can leave lasting effects.