Reflection

Reflection

The heartbeat of my poem is an extended metaphor hidden within each phrase. "Violent oil isolates" is separation of people as well as oil and water, separation of natural from unnatural. "In hazy dissolved" is how we all live our lives in a haze, memories blurring in time. "Forget honeyed Sakura blossom" symbolises and taunts the stereotype of renewal of blossom, also optimism—the transience of life. "Neglect power" is a political statement: power leads to control and death of individuality, reflecting malignant capabilities to influence the behaviour of others. "Darkness" is the partial or total absence of light, and hope is the antonym of my theme. Sombreness, obscurity, blindness—shadowy words for what some of the world often feels like, colour of extinction! Consider: if darkness increases there is no room for anything else. "Shades rise" are the current shadows over us; oceans are darkening as well as rising, light is not penetrating as it should, diminishing the potency of life. Light energy travels through water, molecules scatter and absorb it. In the aphotic zone, all that's left of sunlight is dim, dark, blue-green light, too weak to allow photosynthesis to occur. "The reckless silence" of the silent majority is a call to action to be heard, to speak, to play a part. I added the word "listen" because if you do, you can hear the deafening sound of reckless silence. Earth needs us—rescuers and salvagers. "Wild burning" of landscapes and in our hearts. Prescribed burning, hazard reduction, enables easier access; however, when it goes wrong it degrades air quality and damages fragile and possibly recently restored ecosystem health; although if done properly, it recycles nutrients and area for new growth. "A free moment" characterises time-lapse patterns in foot movement. I consider this as a metaphor for carbon footprint and personal choice. "Drowning in fire" is like suffocation by toxic air as a result of exposure to fire. Our Earth is burning and the air's toxicity is high enough to kill! "Track poison"—trace poison, poison leaves tracks to its origin, ready for legal action or repair. "Rid spread" of pollution and plastics. A "glimpse" is a momentary and partial view—catch a glimpse of the ocean, then find hope and inspiration to help tackle planetary degradation. "Still world"—it’s still the Earth no matter what we do to it; though Earth is buzzing with wild fires, pollution, wi-fi toxicity, we need to still the world. "Living pulse germinates" is the heartbeat of Earth and oceans and so our heartbeat as a community of people who care. Water fills seed, the key moment—opening to Earth the seed skin absorbs water, allowing it inside; tissues swell, casing breaks open and becomes active through enzyme action and growth begins; water is the medium of life processes and tissues of plants consist of 80-90% water.