See the stars in the sky, hanging high above
There they shone for an eternity
Feel the stone, cold to the touch and hard as bone
Hear the wind, roaring past your alcove
Sheltered in the lee, nowhere to be and everything to see
See the world laying below, sitting high on a mountain
Find the sea, an endless expanse of blue
If you were to leave, where would you go
Stay high on the mountaintop, watch the birds fly by
Leave if you wish, to see what happened to your beautiful world.
Something I enjoy is writing poetry about our natural world. I love the earth, life’s resourcefulness, and the world’s rich history. My hope is the poem I just read signifies how people stay locked in their bubble and refuse to see the issues that they are confronted with. People need to be more engaged with environmental issues, rather than refusing to act upon climate change and the global rise in extinction rates.
During my time here at Renaissance, there have been many environmental disasters. There have been wildfires, the creation of an island made of trash, microplastics harming ocean wildlife, the Flint, Michigan water crisis that left the town without drinkable water, Former President Trump backing out of the Paris Climate Accords and many other environmental policies, the reduction in the size of national parks, and a multitude of oil spills. All of these problems are at the forefront of my mind and are very important to me. At times this can all feel very overwhelming.
In order to conquer these problems and feel better, I write poetry. It allows me to think and gather my thoughts. It allows me to put my emotions into writing. Without poetry, I would be stuck with my thoughts and I would not be able to move on.
Elementary school was the first time I was introduced to poetry and I have continued to write poems on my own ever since. I was really glad to be able to practice some poetry here at Renaissance, too. In middle school, Ms. Berry taught a poetry unit, and I can only hope to have grown in skill since then. Since high school, I have continued to write poetry, and it has given me an important way to express myself.
Thank you for the opportunity to express myself today. It is important to care about the world and find your own way to contribute to it.