Time for a Change Yet? A Poem by a Young Climate Activist

Seeking to share the voices of those who are often not heard in academic spaces, NORRAG’s blog series, Provocations for Education from Youth Climate Activism, encourages submissions not only from scholars but also from youth. In this post, a 16-year-old youth climate activist speaks directly to researchers, educators, and policymakers. She laments “her one true home sacrificed to the greed of man,” while calling for change that protects the health and good relations among human and more-than-human beings.[I]

I have lived being in nature since I was a kid and a significant principle in my life is the idea that my impact on the environment, whether negative or positive, is something in my control. I want to be able to have a positive influence on the environment and I want to encourage others to do the same. I strongly believe that the environment, and nature in general, is the key to a happy, healthy future for our planet.

I live in an area where people love to talk about saving the environment and standing against climate change, yet no action is ever taken and our carbon footprint remains the same. To me, in order to have an effect on the way our climate progresses, one must do everything in their power to evoke a change in their behavior and the behavior of the people around them for the benefit of the planet. I wrote this poem to communicate with the world what I feel about the urbanization of our planet at the cost of the environment:

She preferred a crown of flowers to a headdress of stone

The beauty of nature to the ugliness of the city she refused to call home

The towers of metal and roads of tar, so unlike the world where she truly belonged

For the wild was the place she loved the most

The towering trees and neverending coast

The shining green grass that sparkled in the sun

And the plants that grew with no regard for anyone

And last but not least, the animals she adored

They came in all colors and sizes, their beauty was impossible to ignore

There were wildcats that roared and great birds that soared

There were insects that flew and whales that spew

She lost her crown of flowers to a headdress of stone

The beauty of nature to the ugliness of the city she reluctantly called home

The fragrant flowers and untamed streets felled by the jungle made only of concrete

Her one true home sacrificed to the greed of man

The towering trees and neverending coast entirely overran

The lackadaisical flora and shining green grasses

Reduced to tools for the pleasure of the masses

And last but not least, the animals, once strong

Were stolen and murdered until they were forced to sing their swan song

And she sobbed and she sobbed as the forest died away

Unable to help and unable to stay

The end approached and the wild decayed

The green disappeared while the concrete stayed

Let her story serve as a warning to you all

The end of the jungle is the start of the fall

This is my opinion on the state of the environment and the effects that our actions, or lack of,

have on nature and the many things that make up the wilderness. Though there is still a lot for

me to learn, I write this poem to question our policy makers and academics alike – don’t you

think it’s time for a change yet? Don’t you think it’s time:

• We raised awareness about climate change in our education system?
• We passed stringent regulations to positively impact climate change?
• We implement and promote accessible and eco-friendly options for transport, recycling, and other day-to-day utilities?

[i] This blogpost is part of a blog series and does not conform to NORRAG’s blogpost guidelines.

The Author:

Lenya Mithun is a 16-year-old sophomore at Millburn High School in New Jersey. She is passionate about the environment and hopes her creative expression can impact climate activism and policy.