#paradise
Decatur, GA
2022, Senior, Poetry & Spoken Word
Barbie dolls
a trademark of American culture and beauty standards.
literally made of but also
described as being
plastic.
those sun-kissed Malibu girls
who enjoy a little too much
fun-in-the-sun
seen riding the
white, foamy mountains
that crash against the shore
#surfer
or maybe lying on the beaches
rows of different colors
stretching as far as the eye
can see
in jarringly
stark contrast
from the soft white
sands that blow in
the salty breeze
#tanning
and just like
Fido the family dog
unlucky marine animals are prone to contracting
the unfortunate medical condition
plastic-object swallosis
after one of the dolls
inevitably lose their
sunglasses
or beach toy
or maybe a water bottle
#farewellguccishades
it’s easier to forget
or more accurately to
pretend
and ignore the animals’
suffering
the ocean’s cries for help.
after a long day at the beach
it’s time to head back
to the luxury high-rise hotels
lining the shore
up and down
their shiny domed roofs
reflect the sun’s rays
#beachlife
as night falls
families and couples flock
to the numerous beach-side restaurants
boasting international cuisines
they sit on docks surrounded by
the ocean
looking out at the beautiful sky
of brilliant orange and pink
as motorized boats chug along the horizon
no one takes note of
the murky brown water
where some empty soda cans bob
or the clouds of gray in the wake
of the ships
or the lack of birds and their song
that should be filling the air.
no one takes note of
the absence of fish
in the warm, shallow reefs
no one takes note
as they post on their feeds
heavily filtered pictures
#paradise
Reflection
Reflection
As someone who is passionate about environmental conservation and social justice, I wanted to connect these two areas of activism to the imminent threats of climate change our beautiful oceans are battling. Humans have inevitably caused great changes to the landscape of the world, especially along the coasts we tend to be attracted to for their tropical temperatures, beaches, and waters. However, as a consequence of this urbanization and gentrification, these ecosystems have and are continuing to suffer from pollution, ocean dumping, oil spills, rising temperatures, and a multitude of other problems. In today’s world it is especially easy to ignore these effects, even as they happen in front of our eyes. I wanted to use the analogy of social media throughout my writing to address how we sometimes blind ourselves from the problem and literally filter our perspectives to fit the narrative we want to see. Through this artistic medium, I hope I can spark the same sense of urgency in others that I feel we must collectively share in order to enact change in our world.