Mirrors of Our Own Existence
Edison, NJ
2020, Junior, Poetry & Spoken Word
the sleek skin slipping from beneath, the fins diving under the waves
water moving slowly and softly, ebbing in its wake
a squadron of transparent drops is flung into the misty air—
suspended for a moment before hiding in the ebbing silk.
they fall as if gravity is hugging them, wanting them to come home,
staying encompassed in a forever circle of motion
the hump rises once again, a flash of an eye, then a blowhole—sprouting a fountain, almost an imaginary sight, silhouetted in front of the clouded sky
a visual choir singing with colors made from the sunset
bumps and ridges hugging each soft-bodied polyp
intertwined mazes spreading and creating picturesque images
a painting done with pastels breathed so softly upon a canvas
an ethereal Atlantis, conjured from the depths of dreams, dancing in the water, swaying like a tree, created with the innocence of a child’s cotton candy purity
with wild organic shapes made of pearls and coral
thriving in the warm blanket of water, free from the knives of man’s civilized land
a cosmic shape, filled from the glow of stars
with tentacles draping below, the body made from diaphanous cloth
flowing with the current, no direction to go
deathly tassels hung like a ballgown, floating with gossamer wings
a celestial being, only found in the depths of the never-ending ocean
it is as if each of these rapturous beings are mirrors of our own existence or shards of glass that are being flung our way
each creature screaming for us to see their fate, the clear water has left a burning storm filled with crystal daggers fashioned from frozen hearts of each and every extinct being as they cry for hope, for lost pennies in a wishing well
so now I pronounce the feats of courage
reflecting the continuation that defines humanity:
the sky, a dome sheltering the world
with tired clouds embracing the blue
the sun, too shy to appear, peeks from behind armed with arrows made of gold a green leaf standing tall
in the midst of a once-upon-a-time forest,
now just barely a shattered desert, bringing fresh air to the suffocating environment a clean energy source
of windmills and panels run from a glowing orb in the sky
with marches, rallies, and protests, run by school children every Friday as they storm along the streets, chanting for the future
how close hope is, we yell out to the world, there are only a few more steps to travel
Reflection
A few years ago, my family and I went to Alaska, where we saw magnificent whales and porpoises leaping. We also saw a piece of a glacier falling to the ocean, thus leading to me to see the effect of climate change firsthand. I was humbled as I tried to comprehend the effect of climate change on the ocean. As I started writing, I began thinking of nature and what made it exquisite, and I thought of the ocean and what I saw in Alaska. I wrote about the feelings and colors I see when I think of these magnificent creatures that are being hurt due to climate change. As the poem progresses, I tried to show the urgency of the crisis facing Earth’s creatures, and I tried to depict how climate hope needs to be present to combat this. I wanted to show how humanity is present in every living creature, and how the youth and future are dependent on hope for humanity and persistence. In this poem, I also wanted to convey the beauty of nature combined with an urgent need to advocate and stay hopeful. With this opportunity, I was able to realize that despite my age, I could advocate and raise awareness to resist climate change. I learned of the power of one voice and was inspired by the necessity to keep fighting. In the future, I wish to learn more about our great blue planet and use my writing to work against climate change.