Sandcastle
Manila, Philippines
2019, Junior, Poetry & Spoken Word
I had arms, sturdy like a tree,
sharp as a rock. I had friends,
small, big, round, triangular, skinny, thick,
friends who swirled around me, swarming
around me in search for a home, unlike me,
who stayed, who slowly grew. I also had
friends who grew on me, who are too small
to see with the naked eye, who made me, sprayed me
with color, who made me stronger
and bigger. I was blue like a clear winter
sky, without a hint of a cloud. I was red
like the beetroot. I was green like a succulent
plant, evergreen no matter how little
water it gets. I was yellow like the pine tree
resin that traps bugs and turns them
into treasure. But now, the world is getting
hotter, and the waters sting like sunburns.
I lost my friends. I am stripped off the algae
that gifted me with color. I’m now dull gray
like the ashes of a butterfly. The fish, who left
me in search for a new home. I do not grow,
only decay like a tree struck by lightning.
My arms wear away, into small dust,
like a sand castle.
Reflection
Reflection
I first gained the inspiration to write this poem from a school project I did. The project was called “Advocating for Change,” and it was about making a change in the world based on one simple question made by a student. My question was “How does climate change affect marine life in the Pacific Ocean?” Through research, I was able to see a small fraction of how climate change devastates our ocean. I faced a lot of problems trying to describe the coral reefs and the destruction of their habitats. Now that I know of the consequences the ocean faces due to climate change, I will take responsibility and think, “Do I really need to ride this?” before riding a car, bus, or anything that causes the increase of CO2 in the atmosphere.