by Cheryl, Gulf Coast Poet

Save Mother Earth!

Mother Polar Bear and Cubs, Photo by NOAA from Unsplash

Save Mother Earth!

Lawmakers and scientists

and assorted ethicists…

Each nation sent a delegation

to help Mother Earth find salvation.

Scientists made their presentations,

consensus of their deliberations:

Mother Earth is sickened by pollution.

Scientists proposed their solution:

Pesticides and poisons are lurking everywhere.

Clean up the land, sea, and air.

Resources are strained by overpopulation.

Keep wild lands and habitats in the equation.

The governmental delegations,

after prolonged deliberations,

agreed on enacting regulations

to be strictly enforced in every nation.

Ethicists were the next to speak:

“Your governmental coercion plan is very weak!

We must set hearts and minds on fire…

educate and motivate, persuade and inspire!”

Suddenly, youthful eco-activists appeared,

determined to make their message heard.

“The future belongs to us!” They chanted.

Protest signs proclaimed what they wanted:

“Save the Rainforest!” “Clean up the Sea!”

“Organic Food!” “Renewable Energy!”

“Save Wildlife Habitats!” “War is an Outrage!”

“Protect Polar Bears!” “Lower the Voting Age!”

Young speakers took the microphone.

They said, “No group of experts can work alone.

Scientists, governments, and ethicists must

work together to earn our trust.”

“The future belongs to us! We take a stand…

The children of the world demand…

Stop your games and endless debate

and save Mother Earth before it’s too late!”

Copyright© 2021 by Cheryl Batavia

Environmental Protest, Photo by Mika Baumeister from Unsplash
Solar Energy Farm, Photo by Zbynec Burival from Unsplash
Wind Turbine, Photo by by Natalie Douglas from Unsplash

81 Comments

    1. Thank you, Naryan, for your thoughtful and compassionate comment. I know you care about others and spend a lot of your time in service to humanity. ❤

      The mission to Mars is unmanned, and its purpose is to collect rock and soil samples over the next two years for scientific study. They are looking for signs of life in the history of Mars. I don't think anyone will be living on Mars in the foreseeable future.

      Space travel has brought us new scientific knowledge and beneficial technologies…for example, communication and weather satellites and GPS technology. The views of the earth from space provide information about conditions on earth such as the shrinking of the polar ice caps or the extent of desertification.

      That being said, it is a time of crisis on earth. Climate change requires us to act now to prevent the earth from becoming uninhabitable. The global pandemic requires us to focus a large part of our attention and resources on ending the suffering and death caused by covid19.Then we will have the task of rebuilding our economies and our way of life. Maybe we should not be too ambitious to expand space initiatives until we have eradicated covid19 and made meaningful steps to stop climate change.

      Of course, there are many people who live in primitive conditions and need better access to healthcare, education, and technology. This is true of many countries, including the US. We should do all we can to improve people's lives. I know you have visited many such places and have done a lot to help the people you met on your travels. Operating a school is definitely a labor of love.

      All the best! ❤ ❤ ❤

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. Cheryl, it was important to read this as i can feel the intensity of your observations.

        The mission to mars is unmanned, but you must have heard about Spacex’s invitation to people for a tour to Mars, i mean its there, and may happen in coming decade. This race is one of the newer high points for countries to show off their scientific prowess and it all started as to finding an alternative to earth, which has become a dangerous place with numerous nuclear keeps all around.

        My concern is that the UN, WHO and all these organisations have failed to provide, or just to work what they were supposed to.

        And may be if i dig deeper the problem lies in the education, not of the school but of the earth. People have moved away from understanding what it is to worship.

        Anyways, just went flowing Cheryl like you. Thank you. I am and will do whatever i can to stretch this foreseeable doom that is hovering over us.

        ❤ to you
        Nara x

        Liked by 2 people

    2. Nara, Thank you for your thoughtful response. I think that if people do find a habitable planet and escape the mess they have made of earth, they will bring their pollution, violence, and corruption with them to their new home. Yes. I heard that some very wealthy people want to go and live on Mars. Not a very appealing prospect in my opinion.

      Thank you, Nara, for your willingness to do what you can.I think a lot of other people are also motivated to fix what’s wrong here on earth. For the sake of my children and future generations, I hope you succeed! ❤ Take care.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. Thanks Cheryl. Pleasure is ours, shared i imagine and thanking you for pushing in our own ways however we can the cause that will probably come back stronger after the pandemic. We can see the changes in the weather minutely, but for sure nature is bearing the brunt. Its becoming vulnerable and uncertain.

        Nara x

        Liked by 1 person

  6. Thank you Cheryl for highlighting this most serious of today’s problems. There is so much anger at the politicians and inept various bodies that we will see the changes soon. Whether it will be soon enough
    that still remains the question.
    Love the raw power of your poem. Thank you.

    Joanna

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  7. I agree wholeheartedly Cheryl … and youth of world are really starting to understand the terrible plight our “Mother Earth” is facing … unless us ‘Human’s’ start to act to correct the horrendous errors of the past… Please… we must stop our own suicidal ways…..

    Liked by 2 people

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  8. I agree absolutely! Our children are shaming us into taking action. I want to be able to tell my kids I did everything I could to make this world a better place for them to grow up in. And that means a fairer place where we respect nature’s delicate balance. Have a wonderful weekend Cheryl 😊🌏🌈

    Liked by 5 people

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  9. Let us hope and pray that saner sense prevails Cheryl. Beautiful poem.

    Whether it is environment or any other major issue we are facing – the root cause is our greed and unconscious living 😞

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Thank you for your generous and insightful comments, Ashok. ❤ Yes, greed does seem to be behind most of the issues we face. Greed and the desire for power lead to corruption in government. We must live in a way that protects the environment. We should put pressure on elected officials to represent us and our interests. I think we can all agree that environmental issues are a priority.

      All the best! ❤

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  11. a powerful poem, so glad young people are speaking up … but it’s really up to us as individuals to lessen our carbon footprints! If we wait for those three groups we could well be beyond saving, they often only speak rhetoric 😦

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. Thank you, Kate, for sharing your astute perspective. ❤ Glad you like the poem. I agree that we should do what we can to live responsibly, but I think it is also our responsibility to put pressure on elected officials to preserve the environment. We need to make sure that they keep greed and desires for power in check and act in the best interests of their country and the global community.

      Have a great weekend! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. as Robbie just reminded me “George Orwell exposed the fact that all political regimes are, in fact, aiming at improving the lot of certain individuals and nothing ever changes for the bulk of the working classes.”

        we can try but ultimately it’s our responsibility!

        Liked by 2 people

    1. Thank you, Chris, for your kind and meaningful comments. ❤ Covid19 has certainly gotten the attention of all the world. May covid19 be temporary! I think we will leave a bitter legacy to future generations if we let the degradation of the environment continue. I am with you…Power to the young people!

      Enjoy your weekend! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

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  15. Powerful poem, Cheryl! Yes, we must all do what we can to protect mother earth. After all, she is providing us with a beautiful place to live. Getting rid of plastic containers would be a step forward since people can’t seem to dispose of them properly. 🌸

    Liked by 3 people

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    1. Thank you, Eugenia. I very much appreciate your kind and thoughtful comments. ❤ I agree with everything you said.

      I think we should be making the transition to biodegradable plastics derived from plants. They are also less toxic than petroleum plastics. I hesitate to drink from plastic water bottles. We carry water in recycled glass bottles whenever we can. I have used biodegradable disposable cups for several years, although I don't use disposables very often. I buy a lot of produce that comes in plastic "clamshells." I wish they were made of plant-derived plastics! We recycle them but fear that they may be ending up in landfills anyway.

      Have a great weekend! ❤

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  16. Yes Cheryl! Easily the biggest issue of our time – certainly our children’s time. There is simply no more time to waste. Thank you for being part of the good fight. Wishing you well 🙏

    Liked by 3 people

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  20. “ Stop your games and endless debate,
    and save the mother earth before it’s too late.”

    Such thundering words. Your post is very much appreciated, Cheryl. I believe that we are the source of earth’s destruction and we are the savers. Everyone faces the negative impact of Climate Change. If we support each other and try to find solutions, we can really improve the health of mother earth.

    You have used nice pictures👍🏻.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    1. Loku, Thank you so much for your kind comment. ❤ Your perspective is very much appreciated. While there are some forces beyond our control such as meteorites and volcanos that could potentially destroy the earth, I agree with you that climate change is the result of human activity. Working together, we may defeat climate change!

      Have a great weekend! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. Thank you, Laura, for sharing your thoughts. ❤ I think that young people are the stakeholders in the climate change issue, and I agree with you that their voices should be heard. Older people are making decisions that will affect their future long after the decision-makers are gone. I believe we should take the long view.

      Enjoy your weekend! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  25. Cheryl, a powerful call for action to save our planet! It is only with putting out whole self into the cause that a real difference will start to be felt. Oh, the endless government discussions and agreements leave to such a weak consensus with no real effect. The people are the ones who will force a real strong and necessary change.

    Liked by 3 people

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    1. Annika, Thank you for sharing your thoughts. ❤ I am glad you found the poem meaningful. When the US rejoined the Climate Accords I was delighted. I suspect that your assessment may be right, but hope it turns out to be more than rhetoric! An uninhabitable planet is not the legacy I want to leave future generations. I agree with you that we all must do our part to force governments to act. It is the young people who give me hope. I think that the young are the real stakeholders here, and I hope that they will continue to fight for a better future!

      Have a great day! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. Cheryl, I totally agree with your sentiment about the young people being the stakeholders for theirs and a better future! I do believe we can all make a difference and but suppose after the last four year administration in America, slightly cynical. I hope self-interest of governments around takes a back seat for all our good.

        It’s lovely to meet you across WP and thank you so much for your lovely comments on my blog! 😀🌺

        Liked by 3 people

  26. How truly said!? I so agree Cheryl that if not now, it will be a never for ever! We all are responsible for a change and it needs to start with each of us. Very well penned. I am sharing this in my FB. 😍😍 Have a good day Cheryl.

    Liked by 5 people

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  29. I love this poem! 💖 Thank you for sharing this wonderful piece, Cheryl. The way you control the flow through clever use of punctuation is brilliant. And the message is one we need to hear, again and again, so we keep taking action to heal the world.

    Peace and good vibes to you,
    Hamish.

    Liked by 4 people

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    1. Thank you, Hamish, for your kind words. and good wishes. I am so happy that you enjoyed the poem. It is my pleasure to write about environmental issues. We all need to do whatever we can, from our lifestyle to our vote.

      I hope all is well with you. Success and happiness to you! ❤

      Liked by 1 person

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