It is agreed
It’s just another day for the rest of us. The ones who are still alive. There are five of us. Not on some stranded island, or a shared apartment. Five people left on the face of Earth. We caused this - us and our ancestors. We have no one else to blame. But a few metres away from where we stand, on the eroded soil of infertile land, stands one - singular - tree. Morocco’s hardened land still replenishes the last tree of its kind.
I look ahead of me, using one of my many wings. My wings are wilting, but they are still holding onto dear life. Those creatures depend on me for life, while I depend on them for growth. Though, they are the reason I have no family left. I am the last of my kind, and if my wings fall down one by one, they have no hope.
My grandmother would tell me stories of her childhood, how she organised protests, beach cleans, speeches about anthropogenic climate change. While yes, this was all very surface level, it was much higher than the water level in the sea right now. It’s a problem that could have been stopped a long time ago, a case where we could have developed technology for at the same rate as the environment was failing us - or we were failing the environment, rather. But we didn’t. And there is nothing we can do about the past.
The last of them, and the last of me. It’s almost like balance, isn’t it? One drop of water helps me to live longer. And without that last drop, my wings may fly me up above the clouds with the rest of them. I have to root myself for them. They deserve me. They’re trying their best for me. I should do the same. I can’t blame them for what their ancestors did to mine, I can only ask them to help me out.
However, we can work towards a better future. One where there are many people, opportunities, and blooming plants. One where water and food can be distributed far across the globe, and where education can be accessible. For that, we need to work together, and listen to what each has to say. Our egos must be tamed to sit, and stay quiet. It’s the only way we can progress as a society. The only way to stop this from happening again.
I understand their voices. I learnt their language over time. Though I stand, rooted, quietly, I think to myself. I agree.
I look ahead of me, using one of my many wings. My wings are wilting, but they are still holding onto dear life. Those creatures depend on me for life, while I depend on them for growth. Though, they are the reason I have no family left. I am the last of my kind, and if my wings fall down one by one, they have no hope.
My grandmother would tell me stories of her childhood, how she organised protests, beach cleans, speeches about anthropogenic climate change. While yes, this was all very surface level, it was much higher than the water level in the sea right now. It’s a problem that could have been stopped a long time ago, a case where we could have developed technology for at the same rate as the environment was failing us - or we were failing the environment, rather. But we didn’t. And there is nothing we can do about the past.
The last of them, and the last of me. It’s almost like balance, isn’t it? One drop of water helps me to live longer. And without that last drop, my wings may fly me up above the clouds with the rest of them. I have to root myself for them. They deserve me. They’re trying their best for me. I should do the same. I can’t blame them for what their ancestors did to mine, I can only ask them to help me out.
However, we can work towards a better future. One where there are many people, opportunities, and blooming plants. One where water and food can be distributed far across the globe, and where education can be accessible. For that, we need to work together, and listen to what each has to say. Our egos must be tamed to sit, and stay quiet. It’s the only way we can progress as a society. The only way to stop this from happening again.
I understand their voices. I learnt their language over time. Though I stand, rooted, quietly, I think to myself. I agree.
Laaiqah Kamar is a fifteen-year-old upper secondary student currently residing in Thailand. She has written for some magazines and nation-wide contests, some of which she advanced to become a finalist. Writing, especially poetry and stories, is a hobby she has had since a young age. Her story considers a possible future our generation could have if we do not take action about our degrading environment right now. By submitting her piece, she takes one step closer to a healthier world, different to the story she has written about.