Our Dying Flower
Mansfield, CT
2020, Junior, Poetry & Spoken Word
Our Earth is a flower, we nurtured it from bud to blossom.
Proudly displaying its scintillating colors.
Its petals unfolded like a welcoming hug.
But we have forgotten its beauty when it thrived.
We have forgotten; it’s wilting and it’s our fault.
Human meddling marbles the colors into a dull mess.
Each fallen petal is one step closer to the end.
Too many ignore our warming planet,
And for those who don’t, we still forget to bring the watering can.
But ignoring something is much easier than caring, isn’t it?
Hope alone is an empty hand.
We must come together and take action.
Save this flower.
Save our earth.
The birds sing their truthful song.
They are melancholy melodies about their losses and what our future holds.
They beg to extinguish the flames that have erupted onto our Earth.
Our plastic oceans are a flightless bird,
Crippling its ability to survive.
The song of a blackbird,
Is like the plunk plunk of shoes on a hollow stairway.
Not daring to be too loud and hesitant.
It waits for an answer and waits for action.
The turtle’s tears,
Engulfed in plastic-filled water,
They sob like the billowing of grass on a windy day.
Their tears swim along the shore waiting to be found.
Toxic microplastics and oil in our oceans are blades killing marine life.
Piercing until there is no more.
Everything around us, you and I,
We are the crisis—we are climate change.
Each oil spill is a mirror,
Showing what atrocious burdens we’ve created for ourselves and the wildlife.
And mirroring the critical threat to our only home—ourselves.
Reflecting back those who destroyed the oceans which have always been kind to us.
But also reflecting back those who should fix it.
We must take action fast,
Before the flower dies,
Before the bird’s songs dwindle to a deafening silence,
And before the turtle’s tears dry.
Reflection
Each symbol in this poem represents a facet of nature. I hoped to use this medium to illustrate the terrifying impacts of climate change on our planet. The Flower is our Earth, and it is wilting because no one is bothering to water it. However, it is not lost yet. I want readers to view my poem as a reminder that climate change is an extremely pertinent and terrifying issue. Humanity can still save it if we act quickly as one. Understanding this situation will allow more people to realize that there is a way to save the oceans. I chose poetry because it is both a beautiful art form and has the power to educate. I want my poem to inform and convince others to mold a healthier planet and to serve as a call to action. I’ve always appreciated nature and the environment. I found myself frustrated at others for their choice to use disposable plastic. However, I realized that I was guilty of the same irresponsibility. I knew that I could do better. I’ve simply been ignoring the impacts of carelessly using plastic because it's much easier than taking a moment to consider the effects. Pretending something doesn’t exist will never solve the problem. While seemingly insignificant, these everyday dilemmas nonetheless deserve attention and guidance.