To Shed
Sharon, MA
2020, Junior, Poetry & Spoken Word
Lurking in the bleached-out waters of coral that once reeled in love for its vibrancy,
the sea snake sheds its skin.
My eyes gaze at the scales, as they spark droplets of guilt
for
every
last
one.
Is it freeing?
To tear away the dead weight of a body so agile
it cannot bear a layer of waste.
Perhaps not,
maybe the keratin of the body is ripped from sight,
its removal fueled by a fury to abolish the sinly scars caused from those who sit higher,
yet sink, instantly pulled past the coruscating teal rhinestones,
and far into the turbid depths where the fangs lie, insatiable for control.
I must admit,
rubbing my own blistering skin beneath the scathing sunlight,
I couldn’t bear the burden of rebuilding the calluses of a new body;
how each cut and bruise would form with twice the weight in my mind as the stains
come
and go.
While captivated
by an afterthought of aging,
drifting across the rickety waves,
farther and farther from my leaky view,
it rekindles the image
of my plastic wrap,
now missing from my grip.
Reflection
With the theme of "Climate Hope: Transforming Crisis," I was reminded of the strides in climate change awareness, such as the school climate strikes, yet also of how far we have yet to go. This feeling of unfinished efforts of such important causes that affect us all left me feeling that for many, "climate hope" is hoping for others, the next generation, to carry the burden of solving Earth's climate change. This leads the crisis to transform into more shallow thinking, and returning back to life as usual without significant changes to everyday life, which are vital if we truly plan on stopping climate change. That's not to say that I myself, as a member of this generation, do not have hope in us, but I wanted this poem to serve as a reminder to not return to this follower mentality, and to stand for these issues, despite the chance we may need to stand alone for some time. After reading an article on sea snakes, I learned how they shed their skin to remove toxins caused from ocean pollution, which helped me realize that if animals are starting to adapt to our pollution on the Earth, why are we suddenly allowed to do the opposite, and continue living our lives this way? From learning more about this issue, I will always remember the clock is ticking, and our time to fight climate change is too short to waste it hoping a solution will drop from the sky.