Recycled Hope for Desperate Times
Suwanee, GA
2020, Junior, Poetry & Spoken Word
The oil
Poisoning, staining, killing the animals. The waste
Trapping, cutting, killing the animals.
When our momentary song of convenience fades,
The unborn blood spills on these lands and seas,
mingles with their shedding:
Painting a collective portrait of our manifold decay.
They die trapped, suffocated,
helpless in their erasure—
How many more until we care?
Fighting for the land and seas
which was theirs all along;
Sip after sip from the poisoned glass of greed
numbs our humanity; as we
cast its shards into the sea.
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Like a bomb, ticking,
The land and water count down for us:
Do you hear?
*************************
We have been an advanced race
advancing in a race to un-blue
this planet, this still-blue planet.
The time is overripe: let us rise in unison,
and shun our plastic apathy.
Look, hope still stirs in this half-full chalice:
Drink from it and dream.
Hand in hand, we can reclaim
The oceanic blue and the algal green,
The coral chrome and the anemone red.
The winds of change bear familiar names:
Recycle, Reduce, Reuse,
Clean, Donate, Volunteer—
So many ways, so little time.
Then, have belief, and take the leap,
Let the waves catch you.
Reflection
Reflection
I have been noticing the impact of our actions on the ocean, land, animals, and us. I learned how many of our actions, however small they may be, affect the ocean and the life inside. Using the poem, I wanted to send a message saying that we need to help the animals, the ocean, and the environment. I think people should understand that we need to take care of the animals because they are unable to defend themselves against our actions. When writing the poem, I believed strongly in making actions that helped the animals and us, but not in making actions that hurt them. There are so many ways that everyone can help, but unfortunately, there isn't much time. There is still a lot of hope, though. I have hope that things can change, and looking at campaigns, rules, new inventions to replace plastic, and more, I think that we can make a change. After seeing the damage that small actions can do, I am trying to reuse and recycle my waste so I don't hurt the ocean. The knowledge I have gained has influenced me to try to help the ocean and what lives in it and to keep it safe from harm.