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Jan 21
poem 10 comments challenge: ISSUE-Contest
fire girl

Here, fix this

"Here, fix this,"
they say, handing out the homework.
I stare at the world – er, worksheet.
This is a problem I can't solve alone.
The world is heating.
What am I supposed to do?
The oceans are rising.
What am I supposed to do?
Species are dying.
What am I supposed to do?
We are dying ...
What am I supposed to do?
I raise my hand,
"What are we supposed to do?"
The billionaire – er, teacher looks up.
"Fix it."
Nobody is working.
We are all solemnly staring at
our world – er, worksheet.
It's quiet.
I can hear the clock ticking away
the seconds we have left.
The CEOs – er, teacher tells us to hand them in.
I am the last to hand mine in.
I notice no one wrote anything on theirs.
We sit down.
I raise my hand again.
"What was the answer?"
The president – er, teacher looks startled.
He doesn't say anything.
"Never mind,"
I say, walking out of the classroom.
"We already know."
I walked out that day ...
and I wasn't the only one.
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Posted: 01.21.20
About the Author: fire girl
" to choose to write is to reject silence" - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Discussion

Comments

  1. NiñaEstrella
    Jan 21, 2020

    This is brilliantly written. I love it!

    “If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.”
    ― Oscar Wilde

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  1. fire girl
    Jan 22, 2020

    Thank you!

    " to choose to write is to reject silence" - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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  1. Treblemaker
    Jan 22, 2020

    haHA! c.l.e.v.e.r
    I love how you pull the reader to the real world for a second, then snap back to the classroom, but at the end we know exactly what its about ;)

    I write because the music of language spoke to me in books and I wanted to make a beautiful noise to answer back ~ Lee Williams.

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  1. fire girl
    Jan 22, 2020

    Thanks for taking the time to read!

    " to choose to write is to reject silence" - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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  1. dogpoet
    Jan 23, 2020

    This is such a creative approach to writing about this topic! Great job!

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  1. flowersinherhair
    Jan 23, 2020

    I totally relate to this! I’m always meeting adults who say “your generation is going to save our planet.” But what if we’re just kids?
    You really captured that for me. Thank you.

    It's tougher to be vulnerable than it is to actually be tough.
    - Rihanna

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  1. fire girl
    Jan 24, 2020

    Thank you all!

    " to choose to write is to reject silence" - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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  1. JD
    Jan 24, 2020

    This has many wonderful layers and elegantly communicates generational responsibility well beyond climate change. I love the use of repetitive lines and the well placed er's. I wonder what if some of the what am I were what are we. When you leave at the end, would others follow?

    JD Fox

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  1. hannah.banana23
    Apr 03, 2020

    obsessed with this omg

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  1. fire girl
    Apr 03, 2020

    thanks everyone!

    " to choose to write is to reject silence" - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

    • Log in or register to post comments
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