Taking Notice, Taking Action
Lewes, United Kingdom
2020, Senior, Poetry & Spoken Word
Notice, when I wake, each eye is free of a yellow haze;
Every blaze no longer observed with musty vision, but
Felt on my fingertips to ignite action. I let hope burn
Whilst I meditate. The oxygen moves to blood and brain,
Our fight fueled, heat into heart into
Change.
Today we decided deoxygenation
Was a reversible mistake.
Pull out the Gulf of Mexico
From an oven-bake, let it breathe,
Mix,
Reacquaint itself.
Notice where I place my feet. Though I could stay static,
Overheat and concentrate. Let ambition condensate into
Squash,
Relying on all sugars and no fruit. But I choose movement,
And so purpose myself downstairs.
Today life retuned to us: Plankton
Are remaining. Our efforts regarding
The termination of oil drilling, coal
Burning, planet destroying
Were not wasted.
The fish in every shape, expected
To migrate north, play in their native
Waters.
One is claimed to have waved
To dwellers at the coastline.
Notice my flannel happily soothed in water. The dampened
Bobbles cleansing off remnants of darkness or distraction.
Coolness bathing hotheaded feelings into practical motion,
A presence calm,
Impossible to denature.
Today a thermometer of panic was
Reduced. Sea temperatures
Decreased, levels unchanged. UK
Coastlines pictured in birds-eye view,
There appears no need to leave homes
For swallowing,
Gifted to us is a second chance.
Notice how I am infatuated by reclaimed royal blue,
Tainted with teal streaks. My glass, though transparent,
Reflects oceans in its acidity. This new universal pH
Of seven. Circulating throughout bodies
Of water.
Today our ocean neutralises as
The acidification of seas
Has been measured. Along the Gulf
Of Maine recordings in the smiles
Of children conclude rediscovery
In Oysters, Clams, Scallops
And Mussels,
Undissolved.
Notice my gratitude generated from a frosted landscape.
For me grey, bleak skies are the spirit of prosperity.
She oversees me frequently, I wrap up warm for her
Arrival,
Free from the cost of heating.
Today one of our crew members
Caught an old seagull pondering
The banks of a chilled seascape,
For those following you’ll know
It is his first real
Winter.
Works Cited
Feeling the Heat: How Fish Are Migrating from Warming Waters
Yale E360: Throughout the Ocean, Climate Change is Forcing Plankton to Move
Discover Magazine: Climate Change – The Facts –
BBC One: A Climate Calamity In The Gulf Of Maine Part 2: Acid In The Gulf
YouTube: Effects of Climate Change on Marine Life
Mass Audubon: Redefining hope in a world threatened by climate change
Yale Climate Connections: In 2030, we ended the climate emergency. Here’s how
Reflection
I was inspired by an idea of two parallel narratives. One imagining someone getting ready for their day (I chose a first-person perspective to highlight the intimate mindful qualities within the poem). The second takes the shape in a series of more global successes. I have written this narrative in italics as I see it coming from future newspapers, so I think of these passages as quotations. Whilst these narratives seem dissimilar, I feel they are linked through a concept: that internal shifts in mindsets cause significant external improvements. For me, it is these changes in ourselves that bring the biggest source of hope. Once we start seeing ourselves as a friend of Earth and can empathise internally with the sufferings of seas, it is much easier to motivate our change. After reading articles on how closely our actions affect marine life, I feel a duty to advocate how education is imperative for seeing ourselves as part of the oceans. Although worried by many threats facing sea creatures, I then saw the importance of education for feeling responsible as a part of the solution. I learned that changing my lifestyle is not making sacrifices, but rather showing love towards ourselves and our future. From here, our positive changes reflected in oceans is not a "job done" but a friend helped. This idea of connectedness brings me the most hope for saving and protecting our waters and now drives me to make more significant changes to my diet and plastic consumption.