Salt of the Earth
Davenport, FL
2019, Senior, Poetry & Spoken Word
‘ye are the salt of the earth’
and this salt has not lost its flavor.
i am not good for nothing,
and i will not be cast out –
trodden under the feet of humanity.
they seemed surprised
when i shook the earth.
using my flesh –
(so long taken for granted) –
to topple their gild cities.
surprised, but not shocked
in some ways they knew
of the retribution that would come
from building their cities on by back,
and drilling deep into my bones,
and driving my young from their homes,
and creating that heat –
to bleach my hair
and poison the creatures that call me home.
how ironic is it –
that heat gave me the fuel
used the decimate your cities.
years of gelid passivity
undone in one small lifetime.
(i am the salt of the earth,
but what if the earth has lost his salt?
it is thenceforth
good for nothing,
but to be cast out,
and to be trodden –
under the rush of the sea.)
the humans reached out with their arms
slick and blackened as spilled oil,
rainbows of light beaming from their bodies.
they cried out
as black smoke poured from their lips.
(i remember the way they used to hold my shells to their ears,
listening to the croon of my song as cool water laps at their feet.)
but i burn
and so –
spitting acid onto the pale reef –
i plunged my hand into the heart of that humanity
and twisted.
Reflection
Reflection
Growing up in sunny Florida, the sea has always been a part of my life. It is only now—faced with the idea of moving west—that I can full recognize and acknowledge my affection for the ocean and the creatures living in it. Looking into climate change for my piece has allowed me to see not only the temperature aspect of global warming, but so much more, such as coral bleaching and increasing acidity of the ocean. I have dedicated myself to studying biology in college to be a part of the solution by preserving marine wildlife affected by climate change. As someone who also adores all types of mythology and religion, I fell in love with the idea of incorporating my interests into my art. One inspiration for this poem is my fear of the ocean combined with my respect for it. This piece views the ocean as something divine, telling the tale of a goddess driven to take measures to preserve herself and her creations, at the cost of some of them. At the end of the day, the ones we are truly harming by destroying the ocean is ourselves. The ocean has been here for a long time before us and will be here for a long time after us. We need to take action to preserve the lives of the living creatures that reside in the ocean (who deserve just as much consideration as humanity) and also for our own benefit.