Scarred Innocence
Princeton Junction, NJ
2021, Senior, Poetry & Spoken Word
the water comforts you
as you submerge yourself into its silence;
it keeps you afloat
as you listen to its melodious song;
it fills your void
as you exhaust all of its wonders
and drain all of its color.
as you intoxicate it
and cover its muffled cries
for help
watch its fragile waves
rise above your body in rebellion
turning satin ribbons
into harsh whips against broken coral
and gentle ripples
into acidic monsters
an endless playground
becomes a never-ending thunderstorm
howling at every inlet;
past dancing waters
ooze with inimical hurricanes
lead-laced through your veins
the ocean is tired.
its innocence has been scarred
with widening gyres of human waste
teemed with the taste of
copper bullets, plastic shards, and oil spills
carelessly dispensed at every corner
yet its waves return to shore
in quiet, clean gestures
hoping you will listen
the water has long fooled you:
what appears a rough surface
can be cut through
like a knife
a dying voice, tainted with fire
leaves only pleads for mercy
and it is getting harder
to keep your eyes above the waves
Reflection
Reflection
The ocean has always been a safe haven for me. Growing up as both a swimmer and rower, I am constantly in and out of the water, and see it as a rich space bursting with life. However, when I started learning about our melting ice caps and increasing greenhouse gases through an environmental project of mine, I wanted to illustrate the damage that is being imposed on our seas through writing. Specifically, I wanted to express the interconnectedness we all have with water, and show how our choices are contributing to the mass gyres and greater hurricanes that plague our oceans today. The “you” stance in my piece represents not only me, but our generation as well as past generations as a whole. We have long taken our oceans' beauty and comfort for granted, while not realizing their silent cries for help as we continue to pollute and consume. Water plays a massive role in my life - it is my home base and where I can find silent calm. Because of this, I have no choice but to believe in our generation’s power to speak up and work against all of our past mistakes; I know it is not a one-person job, but I will continue to use my voice through poetry to raise awareness for our environment.