Only Human
Nottingham, MD
2022, Senior, Performing Arts
We’re only human.
We make some mistakes.
Like throwing waste in our oceans, rivers, and lakes.
Only human.
We don’t have what it takes.
The sea level has risen and so have the stakes.
But wait, it’s not too late.
Take a look in the mirror. The hero is here. The hope for humanity’s fate.
We can only be saved by the same smart social species who created
iPhones, xylophones, rockets, and chocolate.
If anyone can fix this issue, well, we got it.
We’ve got cinema, medicine, and many more inventions.
Don’t you think that all these things deserve protection?
If preserving them is our intention, we must reverse the direction we are headed in.
Only humans can choose to take a stand.
The future’s in our hands.
We’re only human.
In fact, with these mass extinctions that’s exactly the path we are on.
Only humans.
The last living things left, until we too are gone.
You’re overreacting; nothing is wrong.
Increased warming, severe storming, flooding, more mosquitoes swarming, bleached coral reefs, trees in forests scorched and torched by fire.
The scenario sure seems dire but giving up or just doing nothing isn’t living up to our name.
The human race can be amazing when facing challenges and this situation is the same.
We are capable, able to turn the tables, turn the tide.
By working together, we can make a stable, sustainable place to thrive.
To stay alive, we mustn’t stray from nature or push it away, for it’s where we came from.
We mistreat them, but will we miss each species when they’re gone then?
We should embrace our roots instead of pouring pesticides upon them.
We’re only human.
What we are doing can’t possibly be so bad.
Only humans.
Why can’t we keep continuing things the way that we had?
Such sudden change can be quite strange, but some of humanity’s grand ideas come in exchange for, at the expense of serious consequences.
If we pay attention and acknowledge them, we can prevent them from becoming a problem.
Ignoring the warning signs only makes them grow worse, it doesn’t solve them.
Mass-producing plastic products, which we’re using only once, then throw away, it’ll go away, no it’s here to stay, it doesn’t biodegrade.
Floating forever in the water that we drink.
Don’t you think that’s concerning?
Along with burning fossil fuels in factories that release greenhouse gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, so it gets hotter.
A few lifestyle changes may be worth it, to ensure we endure on this Earth.
It’s up to us; look how far we’ve come.
We can’t fall now due to failures we could learn from.
Humans are experts at adapting.
We can stop this all from happening if we are mindful of our actions.
Only humans
Have a chance to make things right.
The future’s looking bright.
Reflection
Often the focus is on protecting the planet, the animals, and the trees, but I find that many people are too detached from these subjects to care. However, perhaps if humans contemplated the fact that their actions pose a threat to their own safety, they would be more inclined to fix the problem. I've learned that the ocean is an important indicator of the negative effects of climate change. This connection between humans and nature is something I emphasize in my song. I also detail the possibility that, after all humans have accomplished, we can certainly alter our ways for the better. This brings me to the most important lesson: we humans are already coming together spreading helpful messages through art, which seems to prove my song right that we are capable of fixing the problem of climate change.