I Can Change the World with Hope, a poem by Tanvi, 11

I Can Change the World with Hope

Tanvi Padala, 11

I’ve always dreamt of a place

Where everyone would treat each other with grace

And the planet and countries are managed with care

But right now, I wonder if we are in despair

We rank each other by our social hierarchy

Personal choices aren’t significant in an oligarchy

We value a person because of their wealth

Our societies don’t esteem one another, we only consider ourselves

Many don’t realize the importance of our planet or a penny

Money and pollution are problems for many

We squander our resources and disseminate CO2

Our future will be blue when our world has the flu

The list goes on and on, it spans from Beijing to Baltimore

Landfills, inequality, overfishing, and more and more

But please don’t mope

Because, in all of this, there is hope

I can change the world

Starting off by doing one simple act

Whether it’s saying “Thank you," or giving a compliment

They all have a big impact

I can change the world

By being kind or sharing with others and giving nice cards

But wherever my focus is hurled

I know our planet’s solutions are a hopeful wildcard...

I can change the world

By leading my community to reduce, reuse, and recycle

As I encourage the world, our hopes will unfurl

We will fix our landfill cycles

I can change the world with this poem

Those who read it will smile

Together we will dream of this planet we call home

Which will be a happy place for every child