The howl of a wolf Driven from her home The wail of an elephant Shot down for his precious tusks The lament of a polar bear Wandering in search of untouched ice They are nature’s plea The moan of a tree Torn from its sacred ground The cry of a dolphin Caught in a blood-red net The scream of a seagull Caught in suffocating oil They are nature’s plea A plea to stop destroying But instead to create A new world Where seagulls fly free, Where dolphins frolic happily, And where elephants graze without fear It is a plea to repair the equilibrium of nature To not blot out the stars with smoke But to dance with them Raising hands, paws, flippers, hooves In celebration Of a darkened world Brought back to the light Aiwen L. Desai, 12Madison, Wisconsin
Poetry-Nature
The Writing Tree
I grab for a knob, hoisting myself onto the first branch. Rough bark crumbles under my sneakers as I search for a hold. Odd-shaped leaves rustle as branches shift under my weight. I pick pieces of wood off my hands, leaving indentations in my skin to fade away. Nestling into a worn crevice I look out over the dark, still water, light from the evening sun playing across its ever-changing surface. I lean up against the massive oak, one leg dangling out over the lush, tall grass. Silhouetted in the sky birds burst from the trees. Silence surrounds me. I am alone with my thoughts as a friend. I free my hand and begin to write. Brooke Gillman, 13Rolla, Missouri
The Pond
The sun glitters on this damp surface, lighting it up Silver fish flick their tails and in a flash—they are gone It is heaven The warm gray water feels soft, as I touch a ripple with my finger Eyes open, I dive Rainbow trout circle me as I push water back One bites my toe and I laugh Bubbles float out of my mouth, Like transparent balloons I feel far away from Earth Tess Nealon Raskin, 9Brooklyn, New York
