Listen to the Waves
Hollis Hills, NY
2022, Senior, Poetry & Spoken Word
You won’t believe what Mother Nature told me
In my dream, a brand-new reality
Where the ocean speaks and cracks jokes, too
What did one wave say to the other?
Wake up.
That’s not how it goes, but
I was late.
Pulled out of bed
And led by my mother
As I stumble, she laughs.
No matter,
I must have just missed it.
My bus, the joke.
I laugh along anyway,
Because today is a new day.
What was it that Mother Nature told me,
About the sky and the sea, in this new reality
Of mine, hiding deep under my comforter
I smiled and drifted off to sleep.
The waves and I were laughing in harmony.
How does it go,
That joke of theirs
They never get to finish.
Instead, I start drowning
In suspense as I’m waiting
While the tide is rising,
What did one wave say to the other?
Though I suppose
It’s their joke and not mine
To be finished on their own time.
I think Mother Nature is messing with me,
Why are her waves ruining my reality
I beg them to finish their joke, but
She insists that it is not the joke I think it to be,
The waves want me to leave.
This cruel joke goes,
What are you trying to tell me?
The tide is rising, waves are crashing,
Temperatures climbing
And now I am crying
As I realize that this is their world
And I ruined it.
I need to figure this out, and
I will not wake up
until I can fix up this nightmare.
I think Mother Nature was right,
I overstepped a boundary, tormented this reality
Needs to be rid of my pollution,
A byproduct of rampant imagination.
What did one wave say to the other?
Nothing.
They just waved
Goodbye as I drifted back
To consciousness and I can see
How the waves silently plea,
Their voices reserved, though
They still have feelings
Ridden off as falsity,
I vow to listen more closely.
Forgive me.
Reflection
Reflection
This poem ultimately became a reflection of myself and my inner turmoil. I went through many drafts and crossed out many verses; one thing that remained persistent: dreams. Every attempt involved me dreaming or feeling like everything was one big dream, and I finally landed on the idea that my subconscious could tell me truths about reality. These truths morphed inside my head and onto the page, starting as more juvenile and escalating to more controversial topics. I ultimately wanted to make the subject of climate change more palatable while still holding people accountable. This poem quickly became a metaphor for our persistent ignorance even while the world crumbles at our own hands. I hope that we can all vow to put our best foot forward when it comes to saving our planet.