Nature’s Fallacy
Vancouver, Canada
2023, Senior, Poetry & Spoken Word
Climate Hero: Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, Earth Guardians
Biodegradable plastic bags, reusable lip balm, beyond meat.
Taking steps so stubbornly it screeches on concrete;
Paper straws, nature’s green, ‘air-conditioning free’
When did “all natural” become a slogan to compete?
From canned fruits and breadsticks to ‘made from natural ingredients’ to ‘GMO-free’.
When did peppermint taste so soggy?
From ‘how to avoid Red 40 and seed oils’ to ‘insects replacing the meat industry’
I saw it when they made honey and rice become minted for expiry.
When did sustainability’s comradery become its own detriment?
Its independence I saw it written in the amendment.
At this point people no longer care – the Belko Experiment.
Boombox radios with money funded by those who don’t really care
Seven out of seven days tv shows have shown but they’re not really there
Influencers in their fancy jets, spewing gas– never ending haze
Even communities who say they care, what have they done, ‘leaving no trace’?
But underneath, the Earth is still bleeding faster.
Before we rebuttal, let’s see the proof we had to collect
Greenhouse gases, pollution in the air,
Deforestation, the oceans in despair,
We’re losing species, climate change is in effect,
Wake up people, it’s the Earth we have to protect.
When I shout West my words get caught within the waves of the Pacific;
When I shout East, the mountains, they repeat,
Let’s see what happens if I shout again,
but this time instead of ocean waves it’s the companies who think they are sane
Polluting our waters and then starting campaigns to maintain their domain
When words emerge, actions fall short.
Let’s see what happens if I shout again,
but this time instead of snow-capped mountains which echo its walls, it’s the hard rock peak
with avalanches bound to fall.
As an artist, we hold more gold than those government figures
Create a difference that reconfigures
When our minds are together, it differs
Our expressions carry further than Ted-Talks and school lectures
Reflection
Reflection
Inspired by Xiuhtezcatl Martinez’s own music as well as various Hip-Hop artists such as Joey Bada$$ and J. Cole, I tried to blend Martinez’s style with well-known R&B flows prevalent throughout today’s Hip-Hop culture. I was also inspired by English writer Emma Healey, who is known to incorporate creative and clever uses of consonance and assonance, emphasizing the rap-like, spoken-word style. After learning many issues regarding climate change activism, such as the paradox of slacktivism, companies utilizing "the appeal of nature" to increase marketing and boost revenues, I realized that the inert issue is much more complicated than what it used to be – solving the climate crisis; thus, I planned my poem to captivate all aspects of our climate crisis today, focussing on not only the issues that span throughout many industries but also emphasizing the power that Gen-Z holds in order to make a difference.