By the children we bear we show faith in a future
our genes to be borne to the next generation
But, what will we leave of the wonders on earth
once adorning our planet now polluted or gone?
We humans have left the scars of our cultures
endless heaps of our trash
plastic whorls in the sea
poisoned water and soil
stained beaches with oil
vanished forests of trees
dusty farmsteads of sand
We tally the loss to a once vibrant world
of endless winged flocks
of swarms in the sea
Now there are droughts
wider breadth of the heat
some rivers are parched
wildlife extinct
We consume in one life from remaining resources
for almost the length of one hundred years
So, what will continue to nourish our genes
from what we’ve destroyed
from what still remains?
—
Lorene Sweeney has been writing poetry and drawing/painting animals since she was in third grade. She now volunteers for local land trusts removing trash and invasive plants; she also leads nature walks to share the songs of various frog species in the spring. Walking in the woods and riding her bike helps her stay connected to the natural world and its residents.
