Mother Earth is Dying Now
Los Angeles, CA
2022, Senior, Poetry & Spoken Word
(To be read to the tune of London Bridge is Falling Down)
Mother Earth is dying now,
Crying now,
Fighting now,
Blue oceans are turning brown,
My fair lady.
Oceans full of plastic phones,
Coral corpses,
Without homes,
All filled up with oil and bones,
My fair lady.
Ecosystems will fall down,
Fishes frown,
Life will drown,
Mother Earth, don’t lose your crown,
My fair lady.
Clean it up with shovels now,
Turn that frown,
Upside down,
Beach cleanups, we still have time!
My fair lady.
Make good laws, recycle jars,
Yes to biking,
No to cars!
Keep it up and we’ll go far,
My fair lady.
Earth will stand for ever more,
Ever more,
Ever more,
Earth will stand for ever more,
Because you are amazing!
Reflection
I am a strong believer that climate change education should begin as early as possible to create a generational shift in attitude towards the environment and caring for Mother Earth. This is precisely why I was inspired to make climate change topics digestible and "fun" for young children by incorporating basic, yet important information into a classic nursery rhyme. This theme was initially hard to grapple with because conversations on the state of the environment are often morose, and can even generate fear. However, through this challenge, not only was I able to expand my knowledge on the profound effects of plastic pollution in the ocean, I also have been made aware of the multitude of mediums that are effective in presenting facts and raising awareness to better the future of our environment.