Silent Tears
Schwalbach am Taunus, Germany
2020, Junior, Poetry & Spoken Word
My deafening cries are lost through the seas
My screams of pain and anguish never heard
My salty tears forever falling from the face you can’t define
I am the ocean
Once so powerful, once so beautiful
Humans destroy me by the hour, the minute, the second
The clock is ticking, humans
I kiss your deepest caves and the highest mountains
I am your friend as much as your slave
My society is collapsing, I am screaming
Yet you ignore me
My waters are rising, inch by inch
My hints of warmth, rushing to places unknown
And all I can do, for I am the unheard body, is to be silent
My pleads to you are never heard
But you must know by now, reader?
I am the ocean
I am powerful
But I’m not the all mighty mother nature you think I am
I need your care
I need your empathy
I plead with you, unlock the closed door of empathy
A simple action a day, small but truly significant is my need
My waves are here for me to embrace you all
But I am waiting for the embrace by you
Reflection
Reflection
I perceived the world as if I were the ocean, my words coming from the feeling of longing for empathy from humans. As I wrote this poem, overwhelming feelings of empowerment came over me—I felt as though I could change things with something so small and yet so big as words. My message to viewers of my artwork is simple: Every day, think of one action to help the ocean. Many people think "changing the world" is such a far-fetched idea. Like the ocean is made of tiny drops, humans can combine our actions to do something great. After researching dozens of potential solutions, I have learned that it doesn't have to be community work at the beach or donating to an organization. Even though it's helpful, you can start even simpler by using ocean-friendly products, riding a bike instead of a car, and simply passing along this information. What gives me hope is the amazing platform we have for our voices. This contest is enabling an internationally wide community to voice our thoughts in the most creative ways. Social media is becoming the stage we need to address these problems. I will now start spreading this to friends I have created across the globe, sending them simple actions they can take or how important ocean awareness is. I will also personally start to do one action a day that can change the ocean.