Lyrical Liquid
Poems Inspired by the 2012-2103 Common Senior Experience
Olympian High School Advanced Placement English Literature Students
Lyrical
Liquid
FOREWARD
Each year the senior students in Olympian High School’s Ad- vanced Placement English Literature classes find a way to incorpo- rate the spirit of the Common Senior Experience into a final project. This year the students, to include those seniors in Advanced Place- ment English Language, wrote a poem related to their relationship to water, thereby addressing the topic of The Big Thirst. Students were tasked with integrating their knowledge of such literary devices as figurative language, imagery, symbolism, alliteration, and rhythm (to name just a few) into their poems. All the poems are included in this digital poetry journal titled Lyrical Liquid.
What you see in the following pages is a creative attempt to relate and apply the poetry skills and knowledge acquired during the past year within the context of the Common Senior Experience.
This digital poetry journal also has the important aim of helping our readers raise awareness of their important relationship to water. In essence, we hope the poems in this digital poetry journal encour- age everyone to not take water for granted.
The authors of these poems have done their best to use various social media outlets as a way of encouraging people to read this digital literary journal. You may have been directed to read these poems via Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Facebook, or good old fashioned email. In any event, no matter how you got here, we hope you enjoy the poems!
ACCOMPANYING ARTWORK
-Cover artwork by Jennyfer Cisnados
-Artwork on page 26 by Jennyfer Cisnado
-Artwork on page 44 by Jennyfer Cisnado
-Artwork on page 54 by Jennyfer Cisnado
-Artwork on page 71 by Valerie Garcia
-Artwork on page 100 by Valerie Garcia Lyrical Liquid
Sonnet 59521
-Elijah Williams
Barefoot children traverse on hot, red sand, Dirty faces adorned with cautious eyes. Pulsing with the heart of a lowly land, Lamenting their country’s deaf punctured cries.
Trapped within teeming walls of luscious green and carpets of grim, murderous red earth. Latins, dried thin with bloated stomachs lean, Despite black thirst, bellies rumble with mirth.
Humid air and sickly eyes not alike, Jaded cities litter rugged terrain, faces born from boulders with smiles to strike. A culture weaved from dry dirt far from plain.
Children of a slovenly Third World’s breed, But majestic, bronze, bold children indeed.
Lyrical Liquid
Drink a Glass Everyday
-Alexis Lagasca
I have never been to the Sahara Desert, But the unwelcoming place has come to me As sweat begins to drip down my shirt The feelings of dry and hot run through my body
I cannot figure out which way is left or right Or how to walk in a circle without stumbling The sun stares down, targeting me with burning light And my knees become weak as I start crumbling
I hear murmuring as I slowly open my eyes, Vision is still blurry, so I blink a few times. I concentrate on my mother, who lets out a sigh, She looks disappointed, like she has been told a lie
She hands me a bottle of water, The one I forgot on the counter this morning She shakes her head like a toddler, And points her finger as she gives me a warning I take a large sip and feel the water run down my spine Dehydration is a pain, but now I am fine
2 Lyrical Liquid
The Big Thirst
-Christopher Humphery
It seems very funny to me that some things can be so transparent that even those with the keenest of eyes cannot, or maybe choose not to stare at it, As staring is rude. But we are told, given, and also choose to accept the facts that those who teach said facts expect us to believe as realities. Those who can see the silhouette layer of the transparent wall can see the big thirst that plagues our dying world. Those who know the inevitable truths, that we are lied to about-and not the ones that we are told, but the one we must discover for ourselves-know that blue is a primary color The color of many things such as the despair we see in the mirror, the swirling of the somewhat stained blue that travels through our lines The divine destruction of this beautiful color The array of feelings escapes and expands our intellectual being as humans Yet we stand back and do nothing about this despair We stay as our outlets do and sit all day knowing we can stop this horrid dream Since we all have the power to take complete control
3 Lyrical Liquid
Not a Drop to Drink
-Caitlin Mazeau
For the fisherman it means a stage to work on For the fish a place to call home For the young privileged kids a place for leisure And for the thirsty boy a dream beyond compare But why do we take it for granted? We dump and poison it We kill the fish and dump everything We let boats and oil make us sick When we get older and our kids are born What will we drink When the water's gone?
Going Through the Motions -Sherri Bersabe There is water everywhere But not a drop to spare We have to save the oceans Instead of going through the motions And using water wastefully We should use it tastefully By taking shorter showers And watering the flowers Only once a week Wouldn’t that be neat?
4 Lyrical Liquid
Going by Unnoticed
-Elizabeth Martinez
I would hate to be water Easily slipping through someone’s fingers Never having a complete presence Constantly being taken for granted Despite my importance
I would hate to be water, But some days I think the opposite As you count the raindrops on your window As you splash your best friend in the waves As you water those flowers you adore I would take all the credit for your happiness.
I’d be the reason why someone stays alive Dehydration, a fire, a fever, a hot day Could all disperse with water And for those days I am taken for granted-- I would be reminded once more that I’m not
It’s easy to forget the role water plays We see it every day, yet never think twice To remember how much we need it And I would actually love to be water Just because of how important it is.
5 Lyrical Liquid
Forgotten
-Allison Masikip
Blue, white, transparent, reflects light In many forms, liquid, gas, solid like ice Ubiquitous as if an iPhone in the modern age They claim my importance is of natural need But unlimited and wasteful supply is all they ever greed. Worries, a factor I can become Due to my loneliness I’ve decided to run Away to where I can’t be found Nothing can track my path not even the greatest hound. Maybe then they’ll understand my pure intent Not a mere commodity they can overuse Hopefully transform this feeling of discontent By treating me better than the old time blues. I am water.
Water is It?
Justin Quilatorio
Water is here, Is there, Water is pure, water is a cure, Water can help all
Water is needed Water is used Water is running out. Water is to be treasured Because Water can help all
6 Lyrical Liquid
Blood of this Earth
-Ernesto Parra
Water is life. Water flows through Earth's arteries Helps the Earth’s heart beat Water is beautiful and dangerous. Children play with water in this nation, and others dive into watery depths. While others desperately look for it Water washes away the land. Water saves a thirsty man’s life. Water takes the child’s life. People scream for the joy of water While other pray for Tlaloc to fulfill their wishes The power of the rivers, seas and ocean is dying A heartbeat slowing down, murdered by the ungrateful souls Death comes to all, even the most powerful.
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To Dry is to Give Up
-Soyoung Kim
To learn it is full, I must empty my cup to fill with water, To over flow is to die, And to dry it is to give up.
Water so thin, Water so thick, Water that’s sick? Millions of people, all over the world died from water. No concentration water,
Concentration is less water, More water is dilution, Fine concentrated water, Strong concentrated water Can be mixed of young age.
To learn it is full, To overflow is to die, And to dry it is to give up.
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A Chemistry Problem
-Armando Puente
Molecules of hydrogen and oxygen atoms, Your qualities, difficult to fathom. Bonded together, your atoms are like friends Formed together, a shape polar and bent. The intermolecular forces that bind you into ice Apparently the reason behind your open hexagonal lattice. Cold and crystalized, you have unusually low density Enough for you to float, with grace and majesty.
Yet your qualities are difficult to fathom. What makes you sustain life, is it random? If you are the universal solvent That forms the solutions to my metabolic events Then why is your availability Reducing down to scarcity?
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Water is Always There
-Madeline Wesley
Just as a child clutches their beloved blanket, a swimmer comforts himself with water.
Hundreds and thousands of gallons of water surround me, it is what makes me feel safe. No one can hurt me, no one can catch me. Water hugs me close and I embrace it.
Water soothes my worries, and clears my mind. Whether it be the crashing of waves against sand, as salty water sits on the edge of my lips, and reminds me of carefree summer days. Or the smell of chlorine saturating my skin, as divers slip soundlessly into the pool.
Water creates memories. Through any season of the year, water is always there. In gallons, cups or tears water is always there.
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Like Water
-Jaena-Mae Caguiat
Forever inscribed into the paper, “like water, beautiful, mysterious, and essential.” Words which shall not perish in our lifetime.
The words you utter, flow from your mouth. Your thoughts are like water. Beautiful, mysterious, and essential. Each thought like a raindrop from heaven, continuing to leak into my mind, invisibly leaving its mark.
You’re like a storm. Mysterious and sometimes beautiful. One moment, calm as the sea the next, raging into a hurricane. You’re like water, essential to help me see the rainbow in tomorrow’s sunshine.
I love you like a waterfall. Not a wild uncontrollable tide, but like a brook, cascading across a slope, continuously falling every second, deeper and deeper.
But this love has become heavy upon my shoulders Has this relationship become half empty or half full? The absolute weight doesn't matter, because like water, you’re beautiful, mysterious, and essential.
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Hidden
-Jonathan Estaris
Pouring, drinking, spilling, Missing, seeking, wishing 780 million people cannot taste What a million people waste
Water Two-faced and misplaced Clean, copious, forgotten, Absent, scarce, rotten
Sip, gulp, drink, think What can you do? For a person, a family, a country With a glass not half full, but full empty
Abused, misused, and disease-ridden The essential substance of life, mistakenly hidden.
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A Puny Request
-Reece Akana
When the world runs low on water, water you going to do? Make shore you take quick showers, and leave your sink off too. When seas rise and glaciers melt, you will sea droughts soar. So don’t be shellfish. Never pour your liquids on the floor. Plenty of people and animals are suffering in need. Don’t think “oh whale.” Conserve your water every day and read the news about the countries, who fish upon a star for easy access to clean water close, not afar.
Tithing
-Caleb Evangelista
What is given to us, often we should give back In one form of another Water is a free product, untouched by the hand of man But it is sold as if it were something simply created Money isn’t sold, it’s used and reused It is given as a gift and it’s used to buy gifts Money makes the world work in place Water however is a treasure that many can’t understand or see its clarity unlike those who truly have that eye It’s a necessity that makes money feel worthless Water is what makes the World live its life and we see more of it, more often than other things Time and again, it is those that have that eye, that aren’t able to have water.
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Purification
-Ismail Qadi
In arid lands, with parched ground, and empty skies, Pestilence, death and decay, a sickly dance. Even the stone-skinned Gargoyle cracks and dies. The desiccated air signals Death's advance His death grip asphyxiates the very land And as all of life suffocates in the heat, There comes the Resurgence.
An emergence, Indeed. Of healing rains, and Death begins to recede. Of tidal waves. And as the world becomes lush and revives Death recoils, injured, and bleeds He crumples, turns to ash, and Death dies.
On the Death's doorstep, When life begins to ebb, When one cannot care for oneself Is it not the responsibility of those who can, to help?
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Leaking
-Keanu Horcasitas
Drip drop went the kitchen faucet Let me go flush the upstairs toilet. We use so much, while we assume It will always be there, and just consume. We are in for a surprise Our magic well eventually dries.
Although it seems it's all available, Only about two percent is drinkable. Some is frozen in arctic glaciers, Some underground, some in rivers. But what is important to know: is that demand is high, supply is low.
Fresh water is not available everywhere It's here for you so you may not care. In other parts of the world, To get water, people had to think bold. We all know, that water keeps ships afloat Did you also know, it's been shipped on a boat?
The oceans are full of water, miles deep But fresh water will not stay cheap. We thirst for water, it's essential to survive But we over use, wasting so much at a time. Drip drop goes the kitchen faucet Let me go flush the upstairs toilet.
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Water in Africa
-Ryan Navarro
It seems like everyone has clean access to water. But parents in Africa need it for their toddlers. The people over there travel several miles. In order to get resources from the Nile.
Africans live their lives always felling hurt. Especially for those who live in the Sahara desert. Some go without months not having any contact. While their bodies try to survive the drought impact.
American society takes the small things from granted. They use gallons of water for plants already planted. To wash their car, they use the entire Ohio River. Ever their pets’ ponds full to get rid of their shivers.
The people in Africa will always be deprived. People over there need in order to survive, The citizens of this nation need to be much smarter. So others around could have the same access to water.
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Mother Earth’s Satin Blue Dress
-Karla Mendoza
She covers my body in a silky, blue dress, Exposing only my most superficial beauty The rippling waves of her most elegant satin folds brush against my skin, Providing refreshing moisture, granting life to my dehydrated skin cells The cells love her. The cells need her. They pull apart the silk filaments, one at a time, to nourish the others The dress remains stunning as ever. Time’s unrelenting hands spin around and around, And my previously flawless skin becomes marked by age The cells have grown used to the presence of her blue beauty As if it was theirs forever. I love the cells. The cells need her. They continue pulling apart my dress to grow and develop, But my skin is aging. My dress is thin and torn. The cells are no longer part of me. I am spirit in essence and, like the cells, I need the dress to live, To return to my natural balance in life The cells have changed my skin, their world, to serve them, rather than me Their intelligent manipulation of their genetic code can give me a dimple or incite goose bumps, Change my skin color or generate thumbs where I had toes, But they cannot sense that together they are one, And that in isolation they are destroying each other and me. The dress is gone. It has been transformed into a series of filaments Running all over their skin To more efficiently provide its nourishing moisture And beauty to more cells, at least in their opinion. The skin once embraced by the elegant satin dress lies arid, Approaching death, like me.
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And time’s merciless hands seem apathetic towards the cells’ abuse of themselves; They continue spinning.
Necessity
-Kristian Carreon
What is water? It’s a necessity for life We drink it, bathe in it, And clean our clothing with it We use it as if it were oxygen Free and unlimited We don’t realize the truth Until the suffering of the less fortunate becomes our suffering Until we have to walk miles to find water Instead of twisting a knob for that so-called unlimited water Until we drink water riddled with nasty things Because we have no choice This is what water is: A necessity that we should not take for granted
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Aqua
-Rubelyn Radoc
Can you be any more valuable than you already are? On the verge of scarcity Now you are almost gone. Saving you from the abuse of others’ selfishness Even when they’re desperate for you. Reserving every last drop of life you offer. Very magnificent and powerful are your contributions. Everybody wants to consume you because of your lively ways.
Wherever you go, everybody follows. As much as other people want you, you’re taken advantage of. The quenching thirst for your company is real. Evidently, your importance is understated by many. Revitalizing those who need your aid. Replenishing those who need your life. Reserving you is more important than abusing you. So let’s raise awareness.
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The Way You Make Me Feel
-Isoleil Montalvo
Your blue eyes Your deep curves Your wavy features Your cool touch Your soft embrace I love you, Water
Springs of Hope
-Bien Gorospe
As night falls, droplets hinder The clear aquamarine scent it gives off is gone When the equinox falls, all hope may seem unreachable The little bodies have suffered to a point that their skeletons have been engraved like keys We seek nutrients and minerals that will make us everlasting
Tears are saved as it may seem Overflowing of noises brings joyful news A source for life and brightness has been marked Flocks of families strive toward this destiny of sorts Hearts are blood deepened to the point of no return
Hordes are finally satisfied by the richness of the water The benefits it holds has completed its way toward every body Value is important in these hard times Water in its every form has once again prevailed
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The World Cries Because You’re So Inept
-Jessica Sandoval
It takes four minutes for a faucet to run and waste four thousand gallons a day. Unnoticed, it takes four gallons of water to brush your teeth.
It takes thirty minutes for a leaky faucet to waste eighty gallons per month to waste one thousand gallons per year you don’t even like the sound it makes-- turn it off.
People in countries less fortunate live on three gallons a day We use that much, what is “necessary”, to flush a toilet?
More than one half of our planet lacks clean, drinking water while one-third of the potable water in our homes is used to wash dinner off plates or bathe away dirt.
It takes fifty years for Americans to use one hundred and twenty-seven percent more water than they used to. It takes one second to wring the faucet and shut it off.
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Water Will Forever Keep Flowing
-Erica Hornbuckle
Water flows through life sometimes it creates, sometimes it destroys. Water is so majestic, the way it rumbles and flows The crystalline reflection of the sun is always hypnotizing. Just watching the waves as they are rising The flow of this mysterious element is so amazing The flow of this element is so powerful and so breathtaking It’s funny how we can waste water like nothing. But we must always remember that water is something It’s that thing that gives us life, it’s that thing that keeps us going. It’s that thing that keeps us alive water will forever keep flowing.
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Whispered Concerns
-Ali Warren
Is that what you call the tears rolling down my face? Is it the epitome of our agony because we take it for granted? “It” being the body of water that gives us the choice of drowning or replenishing all the things that have been sucked dry in our lives. Are we drowning? In this incessant greed that has consumed our world, do we simply bleed green and see dollar signs instead of embracing the blueness of the skies That stands to be the vivid reflection of the ocean itself We’re miserable and we wonder why, is it because we can’t appreci- ate? Are we incapable of seeing how blessed we are as a nation, or do we just choose not to see it…. Do you even take a second look to evaluate that reflection you see when you look into that mirror? To dissect past the peripheral layers of our very being Do we water each other’s dreams? Do we promote growth? Do we even walk the talk or all we all just hypocrites, self-absorbed in our own world? Soaking in our insecurities, our desires and lack of perspective like sponges If we can’t see the big picture, do we really see anything at all? We’re vulnerable to fall When we compromise who we are we fail to stand tall Don’t lose the essence of who you are, trying to fix your own scars, trying to match society’s bar of expectation Create your own success, be your own personal version of the “best”, embrace the journey And watch your goals come into fruition All your hopes and dreams coming fast at you like a waterfall Showering on you, only more than you thought it could ever be Bringing life and restoration something that only water could do Only to find that the water was within you the whole time
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A World without Water
-Arella Sidransky
What would the world be like without water? A world that would no longer show the color blue from an aerial view, A world that would lose its number one vital source for survival, A barren wasteland lacking the element that unites all of the living creatures, An area of pure emptiness. Would it be even considered planet Earth anymore? Would life cease to exist? Surely, our existence would never be the same again.
No more relaxing 30 minute showers, soaking in the hot, steamy water. No more water-balloon fights on those hot mid-summer days. No more summer camp field-trips to the water park. No more calming night-dips in the family Jacuzzi on a cold winter night. No more wedding proposals at the Niagara Falls. No more adventurous white water rafting excursions.
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Simply Water
-Shanice Lang
Drip drop, splish splash, Dip dop, plip plop, Whirls of blue, in rings and spots, Cool on flesh, and the scent of fresh, What’s that? No need to ask, it’s just water. Only water? Simply. Water.
But what’s so simple about this source of life? Or its shortage in distant, suffering lands Of dried communities with dying desperateness? Or its supposed use in sleepless cities with sealed plastics and silly wastes?
Where’s the simplicity? In its causing of death in the places alack? In its abuse here at home, with the hour shower?
So problematic, over so simple a thing. Question after question like a curious cat, But none yet answered even with that, So simple a claim,
It’s just water, Only water.
Now here's the test, Is it simply, water?
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A Water-Filled World
-Jesser Sison
Gushing through a narrow canal, bustling with energy A young girl climbs aboard her float while playing at the beach. Streaming out of a large container, plants becoming spongy The rain quiets as an old man bites into a peach. Flowing through various pipes, pouring out into the open air A shark swims afar with its speed unaffected by a leech. Blasting into a sea of rocks, minerals flying everywhere The swimmer leaps to get the ball within reach. Dripping down from the sanctified, illuminated cross A warm sandstorm blazes and forms a loud screech. Dissolving into the ground, appearing to be lost The world is scorched, its land bleached As the sun turns to black and the sands continue to rage Our tears are trapped within an underground cage.
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Submerged
-Mia Shahbazi
Gleaming river, black and silver Where have my ripples gone? The compelling susurrus of the stream Shall silence those who come.
Drop, drop, drop – A mirror void of preconceptions With every stranger leaning to glance, At the trickles of truth in their reflection
If the moonlight’s beauty ceased to shine Perhaps then they could see Trapped beneath the surface Is where they ought not to be
In me has drowned a young girl. Who disrupts the heavy languor? Through shrieking ripples and sinking paper boats For she can no longer stay under.
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Deep Friendship
-Grecia Esquivel
Friendship is like water It can be weak or strong It is deep in meaning It is clear and clean Water is needed by the seas and oceans Just like how we need friends in our lives
The moon is just above the ocean As I stand at the water’s edge The warm sand packed between my toes. I look out as far as I can to enjoy the starry view Reminds me of all the times we spent together Those memories endless; like the sea
I try not to miss you But the ocean was your favorite place And every time that I am here my thoughts Go running back to you
Now that you are gone, the waves are all that I have left Looking up to the starry night I can honestly say That you were a big part of my life And one day, I will see you once again
In heaven, where you are looking out for me Endlessly surfing, like you always were But know I only have the ocean to keep me company And relive your memory I wish you hadn’t died but for now Goodbye my friend, my “sister.”
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A Priceless Substance
-Brianna Sanchez
Clear, Blue, Pure At the beach, in a bottle, At the pool, in the clouds On the pavement after a rainy day A resource never outdated A substance never hated The shine it shares just like a diamond Used for cleanliness, hydration, and purification Water What we have at our fingertips The resource we take for granted But to others it is priceless Water Pure, Clear, Blue.
We Have to Have It
-Katherine Ross
Water is life. No taste, no smell, no color Yet still valuable and essential Used for cooking, used for bathing Used for drinking, used for planting Without water, all things living would be dead. Water is the most ital liquid of liquids. Water makes things grow. Water creates rainbows. Water is within our every being. No water, no life.
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Reason to End this Crisis
-Andrew Chavez
Let’s try to picture something, I’m going to give hints and let’s see if you can figure out what it is. The thing I’m thinking of is essential, It is the very reason we are here. What has helped countless organisms lived what can also be the death to others. Some need it to live, others live in it. If you haven't guessed already, The thing I’m talking about is water. Look around, left, right, up, down I’m sure in one of those directions, You can easily get clean water. Turn on a faucet Think of what you see, Think of what you smell, Think of what you hear, Think of what you smell, Think of what you feel. Now imagine a world without this luxury No clean water at your disposal No way to hydrate yourself. While you sit at home with a seemingly endless supply of it this very necessary part of life is running low. Not in another universe, nor galaxy, nor solar system, nor world. On this very planet, some have no way to get water. some die of thirst, others bacteria, but either way people are dying. We must find a solution, must find a way, find a reason to end this crisis.
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Connection to Water
-Jacob Calabrese
It lacks sanitation This needs to be improved It needs restoration Without it we’re doomed It covers the earth But still many thirst If not considered of worth We progress the worst It is taken for granted What little we can drink It needs to be acquainted With us so we think So if water is not examined With more than the eye, We‘ll all be dehydrated too dry to even cry
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I, Sea Beauty
-Alex Maravillas
The Beauty of the Sea, triggers motion. The splendor that Dolphins create glisten. Jellyfishes swim through the vast ocean. The bubbling music, you must listen.
Marine creatures beneath the ocean floor deep down mysterious fishes to find. Sea turtle babies end up at the shore. Ocean creatures of all different kinds.
But the creatures of the ocean suffer. Man, the Parasite, sucks away, no trace. O, the mighty Neptune, how he cowers. Plastic demons, oil monsters replace.
Please preserve the Beauty of the ocean. The Beauty of the Sea, triggers motion.
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Don’t Ask Me about Global Warming
-Jerica Nimidez
Honestly, I’m only doing this for my graduation, But if you put a shell to your ear you’ll hear the ocean Where our great ancestors supposedly roamed, And with such depths unknown Maybe it’s true that mermaids do exist I’ll find out when I’m philanthropic and rich. Maybe someday I could fund the cure for cancer Or solve this huge issue on conserving water. The science isn’t always clear about how it all started But let’s say we knew how that particular story ended: Once upon a time the world was set ablaze With nature’s tears her eyes glazed Over the ice that would eventually grow thin From the Sun’s light that would soon dim. Then the entire planet fell under the greatest risk-- Still, there underneath the beauty of aurora borealis Were hopeful never-ending sheets of white And rarely a distinction between day and night. The poles Meryl Streep said, “None are as majestic” In a documentary titled “To the Arctic.” It had polar bears pull at your heart strings A feat feathered by Paul McCartney’s guitar strings. I will admit that my emotions did stir Convincing me I could do something for sure. Okay, so I’ve decided to let the yellow mellow And maybe shower with another fellow? Why do I even care if I’m made up of 60% water? I’ll just drink another bottle if it gets hotter. Water already makes up about 70% of Earth anyway. The waves dance prettily in oceans and bays. These were scenes Winslow Homer just wanted to paint But, unfortunately, not everyone can be a saint. What do you think a water drop even does? Ah, so it follows a cycle and makes mud.
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Do we really need any more televised invocations To know this is the world’s greatest public diversion? All they asked was to conserve a little Political parties aside this isn’t a difficult riddle. What do you want? What do you need? Sustaining life should easily be the first priority. Whoever told you that you have got talent Knew you were bigger than your wallet. You can donate blood every month and call it love Knowing that soon every drop will be enough.
Need
-Abram Aceves
We can trace her to our roots, she gave life To us, yet she is out of reach for some- Wasted on those who care not for others. Why does she slip from their hands? Why? Why? She is a tease, insidious, poisons Children even, looking for life in wells Full of tears, polluted tears that take life. When will we assist those most in dire? We must do more and use less, to conserve That which we are running out of, clean life, The clean giver of life which we value. The clean giver of life which we need.
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Relative Understandings
-Isaac Gonzalez Sanabria
A child now is in want of that; That which will kill the end to her Desire to be thirsty, and worried, and At her current state of walking Several kilometers to the hole Where anguish is confirmed; and Thirst is quelled for some fat minute; The state she finds her family in.
For years the mother defended, For her child to leave her fears where they began, To live a world where love carried, The tones of sympathy in accordance to The individual power of reality.
She was instructed to pray for those; Those in fewer positions than her own, To feel regret and pain in regards To the people who found their water, At 10 kilometers away. Her mother then advised her, To be humble and appreciative at only Walking, 2 kilometers a day. “Something only the richest souls In our world could achieve.” Grace and thankfulness overtook the girl.
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Seasons
-Sol Narvaez Cowardin
April showers bring May showers Everything in bloom, Red roses grow for love to show And make their lovers swoon. The leaves turn green, The sun still beams, The thunderstorms roll in. The clouds are gray, The sun still stays, Hot rain on summer days. The wind starts blowing, Cold days start showing, The cuddling begins. The leaves bright lights, The pretty sight, The fog around your knees. The gloom comes in, The chimneys sing, The smoke rising into the sky. The silent snow, Drifts down real slow, Onto the hard cold floor. Blanketing the world outside, The frost cold on your nose. The winter snow begins to melt, But it will be back soon. The rain will come, Bringing back the sun, And let the flowers bloom.
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Their Shoes
-Abigail Carreon
A child, walks to a well over four miles with his mother for the water that they will use for the day. The mother, who knows the water they are going to get is possibly filled with bacterium, goes for the sake of their lives, because she wants the best for her family.
Each day, this cycle of walking back and forth from their house to the well prevents them from doing anything else. He could be going to school and receive and education or working for an income that will fight off starvation. But no.
He walks back and forth, back and forth, for a supply that won’t last for more than a day. He gets tired, gains countless blisters and bruises from carrying the load. But he’s okay with it. Each step means another drop, another sip, another chance at life.
They don’t complain. They have no other choice. They can’t run to a faucet for the water to cook their meal, Or go to the store for 10-pack. They work for water they need And use only what they need, when they need it.
They don’t leave the water running when they brush their teeth. They don’t take 30 minute to an hour showers. They don’t throw trash down the storm drains, and would do so Even if they could.
Why?
Because they know the meaning of water. They know the importance of each gallon, each cup, each drop. They know that they can’t live without it. They know because they have to survive with so little of it.
But what do we do?
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We leave the water running. We take endless showers. We allow people to dump chemicals and trash into our water sources. We rather pay obscene amounts of money for bottled water. We play in it. We play with it. For what? Because we enjoy it? Why? Because we can?
No. We do it because we never had to live a day in that child and mother’s shoes.
Green Apple Jacks
-Jeremiah Deinla
Water makes us all ponder When it’s gone we won’t last long And we also will wonder. What happened to our sweet, sweet water? As essential as air It’s found everywhere. It is really a fluid that is ubiquitous Nothing can fully describe how important this liquid is Supporter of nearly all life on earth Opponents of this blessing don’t realize its worth. A bowl of fruit supporting life Truly one of a kind, no other resource alike A bowl of fruit supporting life Underrated, undervalued, underpriced.
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It’s Water
-Lori Lopez
It’s in the air, floating about, It fills our lungs and our being, It has its own code, unbreakable when cold, yet fluid when not It caresses children’s skin and demolishes monoliths It’s nearly as old as Mother Nature herself - it is her child She entrusts it to us The dead to the living; the living to the dead We are homes and caretakers As a parent to a defenseless child We must protect it. We must. This origin of life and bringer of death. It is what bonds and breaks To ensure the future it determines the stakes - The stakes of the measures we must take.
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The Waves
-Kyle Doria
“It progresses and recedes seemingly without cause without purpose. The Waves soothe and scald, yet still we stand defiantly on the shore like fools. The greater fool, however is the one who sees a pattern in The Waves. The one who believes them to be like simple dominoes. One causes the other to fall, each has its purpose in the grander scheme.
The Great Plan, the Absolute Design, this is the stuff of petty fiction And even pettier mysticism Every wave is an individual that must be considered on singular terms, if it is to be considered at all Most, sadly, are bereft of meaning.”
Yes, this is what I told you, I believe I was being quite profound. Touching, how we fail in spite of ourselves. Perhaps I was trying to soften, to reconcile- or worse – to restore That is not what I meant Not at all, as Prufrock would say. Despite what you believed, the only thing I had in common with him is that the mermaids in the deep Do not sing for me either, but that does not diminish their significance
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Not at all.
“I’m being too personal. Embarrassing, especially here “
One can watch the sea and believe The Waves to be that terrible Leviathan, which grows so large as to swallow the whole world. One can believe the ocean to be the cleanser, the healer, the forgiver, a sunken god that will wash away all the grit and grime. One can even count the waves as they crash about him And judge each one exclusively so that he can ignore the growing flood. That doesn’t change the fact that he’ll always be a fool standing insolently at the edge of an ocean, and no matter how far he steps back, through those hollow iron bars (Yes, you know the place) there is always that small speck of blue, and he’ll be damned if it doesn’t mean something.
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A Sink Left Forgotten
-Kristine Tolentino
Water slowly inches out, Disappearing the moment it falls Down a sink left forgotten. We are no more conscious of the droplets Than we are the sound of a turning knob. Why should we be?
The droplets always replenish, As if controlled by a law of physics, The same force that makes the sun rise and dictates the speed of light. But before anyone realizes, The drops add up to an ocean With some unknown purpose, Down the vacuum of our kitchen sink.
Our generation is constantly taught Not to take each other for granted, To assist the poor and abandoned, To treasure every bit of our planet Because we only have one.
And yet our actions muddle our words. Their meanings are distorted To allow exceptions. To cut corners Because the "right thing" is too difficult. Our laziness overrides the godly values Embraced in theory but not in practice.
By no means am I the exception. I too ignore the dripping faucet and forget That the droplets are not endless, That one day the water may not replenish, That one day we will seem foolish
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For being the generation that dwindled Valuable resources. And that one day we will Wish we had conserved every last drop.
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It’s Time to Make a Change
-Loren Fernandez
There was one day when I went to school, three or four kids came into my AP Art History class. They talked about water. I didn’t bother to pay attention, though. Don’t get me wrong, I care about the fact that I take things for granted. Things that others wish they could have, but I don’t feel humbled I feel selfish. I try not to imagine what’d it’d be like to live without a mother, without somebody to come to and tell her that I love her, so I try to do my part. Turn the faucet off when I see it running The way I see it, we’ve all got to do something, whether it’s raising money or building a well in Africa. Because Earth is a place that we’ve got to protect and look after Because at the end of the day, who cares who was more money? If you were to see the gruesome pictures Of people dying, it wouldn’t be funny.
The fact that we sit here, and just go about our day like nothing’s happening is that part that hurts the most.
If I were the kid who desperately needed an 89 cent gallon of water, I would sure as hell want someone to bother to at least Try to help someone in my kind of situation.
People are dying. And I feel like such a hypocrite. If I were to stand Face to Face, with the kid I didn’t help, would I be able to say to him,
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“I did nothing”
And you know what? I can’t really compel you To give a little money, for the sake of helping others. But just look at the little girl or boy who is dying of thirst and hunger, and just try to imagine if that were your sister or your brother.
Contribute.
You Don’t Know Water
-Renato Lopez
Water is extremely significant It’s life for human, animal or plant Some don’t see it, but water is running out And we will soon be in a drought We waste water as if it were invisible So use it less or make it reusable You have no idea how much is wasted in a flush And if you knew it’d only make you blush Water bottles aren’t that great, and are expensive So to save water listen up and be attentive Use tap water because it’s good and cheaper And little by little you will get richer So help save the water before I act eager.
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What’s Going On?
-Dante Alvarado-Leon
What’s going on? Clouds of sulfur decorating the finish line of the Boston Marathon, People screaming. Sirens playing a dissonant and redundant harmony, Sorrow and painfulness, growing in the streets of Boston. Vigilance spreads across America.
What’s going on? That horrifying day at Sandy Hook Elementary, Drops of sadness, terror, and fear inundated the world. Children shrieking, parents infected with panic, and courageous teachers. All characters in an unending, yet tragic story. Trepidation spreads across America.
I shut my eyes in contemplation, What’s going on? A flashback takes me back to December 7, 1941 “A Date which will live in Infamy” The stealthy bombing of Pearl Harbor. Vigilance and trepidation both spread across America.
Yet, There is Hope. An intense and dazzling beam shining at the end of a dark hallway, The conviction that the future will resolve all our quandaries. Unity is clothing all of our nation As Mary holds the mutilated body of her crucified son, As a group of ants labors during spring time.
I wake up from this terrible dream, Come to the realization, That the world is not ending, it is changing. We are a different generation,
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Facing many altercations, Water is running out Violence is devouring lives Climate change is roasting our world.
We are stronger, bolder, and courageous, An immense pile of brilliant minds and hands, Ready to lead this nation into acclamation. No more Water, We say recycle wastewater. No more Violence, We fight for Gun Control measures. No more Global Warming, We say no more Starving, It is time to begin performing. We look for answers, not questions, We find solutions, not problems. Consciousness, Pair of binoculars we all possess, Allows us to see the distant tribulations that trouble our nation. We respond and raise awareness, Like a flashlight that illuminates a dark alley.
We are a wonderful creation, Filled with dreams and aspirations. So, What’s going on? A peaceful chaos, A metamorphosis, Not, a monstrous vermin though, But a transition. My Generation is ready to take command, We spread hope, unity, and consciousness across America.
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The Importance of Water
-Lucero Garcia
Without water The warmth you feel on your back that cold Monday morning, Your cup of coffee, The steam that radiates off your warm meal, And a cup of tea Would no longer exist. Without water There would be no tears, No home for fish Or water balloon fights that hot summer day. Water is a key component To this place called Earth. It is the reason we live And we should learn how to take care of it.
The Glass of Water Cries
-Andres Mendoza
In the distance the cacophony of an old and tired engine approaches; an anxious dog emerges from its sleep. The chilling October wind rattles the fence and the old oak tree shakes its branches and drops its leaves clumsily.
A quick grasp of the muzzle and the crying clouds of gray drag the pair in the dark house with slowness and fatigue. Entering the frozen house, the old man pours a glass of cold water and sits on a hard and garish armchair to finally rest.
The weary dog curls up at the feet of the adjacent white armchair, and the old man reaches to turn on the lamp light. As they slowly cease to breath, they slowly start to dream, While on the side table, the glass of water cries.
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Water through Eyes of Literary Merit
-Nathan Gregory
To be or not to be Water gives life thee’ For without, I am an invisible man. Young yet old this fertile element ceased to grow, After the stars and moons no longer did stow.
However, wherever, you choose to be Water is guaranteed to be alive within thee.’ Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day, Is something none another than a cave dweller’d say.
To question its power, worth, value, Is to look at a snake without caution, concern, or understanding. Flowing as the crow flies with a voice of mockery, A mockingbird; justice for thee without appreciation.
That in which we do not know, throughout history continues to show; That in which we cannot contain, should not be tamed.
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A Thirsty Planet
-Ashley Masa
Water is essential to life, In Third-World countries there is strife. Although it is abundant here, In years to come, it may disappear. Be conscious of this; the future is near Water we must conserve And life we will preserve. We live in a thirsty planet; we should treat it like home Respect, reserve, and preserve.
Charles Fishman, he wrote The Big Thirst For water’s fate is truly at its worst. Indian children do not learn, Water they carry is what they yearn. Children are dying their water is not clean, Those who have nothing deserve to redeem Their resources, health, and prosperity. We live in a thirsty planet; we should treat it like home Respect, reserve, and preserve.
Recycle, reuse, and be conscious of how it is used. Water is a valuable asset; it is true. We live in a thirsty planet; we should treat it like home Respect, reserve, and preserve.
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Conserve, Protect, Recycle
-Olivia A. Torres
Water You are free You are bold Like the Persian sands of time so does water hold Earth’s time. Our time is running out A time of ignorance, joy and carefree spirits Now someday will ravage for water, walk for water Thirst for water, find no water Despair you shall not for you can be saved Conserve, protect, recycle This is what we must do. Waste less we must, abuse not we must, use again we must No harm shall come to thee water, no danger shall await those who care Who might perhaps hear your cry for help. Conserve, protect, recycle This we must do.
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The Cycle of Life
-Jennyfer Cisnado
There is a stream that flows steady and alone, A stream that travels from mountains to shores While in its path leaving earth in conception, And through centuries gave life to its floors.
All grown the stream had turned into a river, Fed by the erosion and the passing of time, Men attracted and needy of this silver giver, Found the river who offered them shrine.
Once a deity to man, now a common server, But strongly did it serve the travelling men, Giving life and movement as a life preserver, Giving chance to a growing civilization of men.
But the river now old, began to grow exhaust, Not having the strength to keep his action Made the earth dry and the town as lost, And men came and went in evanescent fashion.
Forgotten again with ghosts of the past, Life and death leaving its mark on earth The river perishes all drops to the last, With it, all the life it had once brought forth.
But a woman prays for the coming rain. For when such a river could rise again.
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From Sea to Shore
-Sydnie Tamayo
Can’t catch my breath so I breathe underwater, Absent from comments of others too clever. The silence of the sea whispers, “We’ve got her.” So maybe I’d like to stay here forever
It’s the chill of my frame as I lay on the surface, Or perhaps it’s the sound of sand moving on, Which brings peace to any nameless purpose And sways me to stay for the imminent dawn.
But as the waves know what is truly best Do they push me to the heartrending shore. For I always knew, and one could have guessed, Time won’t stop for what I adore nor abhor.
But if I come back from where I have drifted At once I’ll remember of what I was gifted.
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Wet Intimacy
-Elvin Obellos
Hey Water! It’s been years since we first met, When I came out of the womb, remember? I bet. You’ve been the first to wash me you see, Honestly, you’re the first to touch me intimately! I see you in the morning, afternoon, and night, All day in fact. You’re in me, around me, under me, Keeping the world intact. Oooooh baby water, You ease me when it gets hotter! When you think about it, you’re everywhere. From the toilet to my mouth, From the North to the South, When I grub at In-N-Out! When I’m thirsty, you ease me. When I’m in a Jacuzzi, you please me. You make rivers flow, My hearts go, Plants grow, Oh geez, you already know! Although there is an abundance of water here, Some are not as lucky I fear. Millions without water?!? Ohh, crimedy! It makes me wonder… How can they live without this necessity! While we live here in such luxury… It makes you think what is really important, To stop complaining about little things because it just isn’t worth it. Compared to how others suffer, We shouldn’t complain about not having dessert for supper. I cherish you dearly, my beloved water. Because there is no one else like you, there is no other.
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Wrong Water
-Michael Bregg
Water is made of two hydrogens and an oxygen. Why do we care so much about this, because hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe? We have all the things for water and water itself, it’s just that it’s never in the right place at the right time. That, and most of the water on the face of the Earth is undrinkable. We should fix this.
Contained
-Blessie Mayo
Waves go in, Waves go out. Water pushes them throughout.
Crashing on the rocks, White foam arises; People look and stare at all of its many surprises.
Sandy and salty It’s bitter to the mouth. But don’t be fooled by its thunderous clout.
Simple and straightforward the bond is easily retained, However its power can still not be contained.
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Water Cries
-Nicholas Paul
Drip, drip, drip It’s the sound of water wasted To us it has no taste on the lip But to others it’s the sweetest thing they've ever tasted
Here, we claim that our water “is to hot or too cold.” It tastes funny, out of the park fountain! While there, kids of only 5 years old begin their trek to the rusty old well upon a mountain
Here, I propose a change to our wasteful mentality For the screams of wasted water have never been so loud Death does not judge on nationality for people all across the world are praying for just one cloud
With a cloud comes hope; the water supply for tomorrow Let the water continue to drip, while the children drown in their sorrow
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Water to Me You Are Everything
-Valerie Garcia
You shimmer, you sparkle, and you shine on my day Yet I sometimes wonder where you sometimes stay. All around me I see you. You are a part of my life. I wonder if you more important than my wife.
I need you so dearly, I must have you right now and am glad I have you so nearly. Your feel against my skin is something amazing You leave me so dazing.
I drink you every day. It just has to be that way. With you I survive so I can live longer And then become stronger.
It’s sad that many don’t appreciate you After all you are blue. It seems that they don’t know that one drop Can make a difference in this world where we stop.
So why not change and make it stay? If we all help it can last us another day. After all water is life and life is us. It makes us who we are and is just a must.
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Blue Treasure
-Alonzo Garcia
This feeling of dryness I experience as it slowly runs down my throat, This blue treasure I have earned, that I only heard of in my bedtime before. It is said it had once ruled the world, with a fierce and mighty roar, Yet, like a slave to its owner, it followed orders every day, more and more. What could have gone wrong? Where have you gone? Blue Treasure, in your abundance, why do I only know you in a song? Your presence lost, alongside a bigger cost. Taken advantage of without a care. Blue Treasure, this isn’t fair, Put aside your ego, and let me share.
Wonderful Water
-Harriet Halog
Water, water, water Water all around: Drinking water, washing water, displaying water, Technological water, cooling water, warming water, Comfortable water, survival water… Water on the ground Water in the clouds Water, water, water CONSERVE
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An Ode to the Disappearing Act
-Zoya Kakar
Drip, drop the snakes run down the window pane Clear yet colored, swift. Merging with others Running, creating pictures in my brain Swirls and blurs, meeting like unknown lovers.
Hot and dry, cruel sun beating on my face So harsh that my fair skin cries, tears all over Dripping down my face, running like a race, A river with the smell of sweet clover.
Dead and lifeless, lackluster and rotting. Instead of vibrant hues patches of dark. It is also what brings the fun to yachting That gives a simple flower its live spark.
How is it that a substance so pure, clear Can be so mystical and disappear.
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Stop the Clock, Save the Drop
-Katrina Moselina
Without water, everything turns into nothing Like a leaking pipe that no one notices Life begins to drain away. But how long will it take for anyone to realize Seconds, Minutes, Hours, Years? Drop after drop Time goes by and the clock doesn’t stop. It shouldn’t take a drought or a flood Or the suffering of millions of people To take action. To appreciate what we have. To recognize that water is life. And to recognize that if water is gone, What would be considered of our existence?
The answer will be nothing.
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Phases
-Erica Mershon
As I lay in bed The rain comes down Plays me a little song The water dots Melodic drops That sing me straight to sleep. With the rain comes sleet A louder sound Yet still a steady beat. They all play me that little song That sings me straight to sleep. Outside the weather turns cold The snow blankets the world This water silent Quiets all violent And keeps us all indoors. A kettle on the stove The smell of tea drifts through the house A comfort thought And I am caught As I lay in bed.
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Water Requiem
-Robin Ramiscal
Life sustained by the drip Preventing life from the drop Like the guard of the kingship Or a saintly prayer by bishop. Rain bombarded the world with life like airships Bringing sweetness and joy of lollipops But now dry are these lips And the dream quickly pops For now there is no water that drips And now all life eventually drops. Now, the world, amiss, all is not fair For all that is left, not water, but air. The song of the beautiful chorus no longer there We sit uncomfortably on the hardwood chair. For the overuse we did not care Now the punishment we cannot bear. For now an appearance, water does not dare. And now all life is in despair
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Change Continuity
-Austin Roberto
Running Water For The Lights Ultimatum Sustenance That Children People Die For Because Greater Access Availability Despite Need Needs Results Lacking In Change. Continuity.
Taken for Granted
-Marianna Salcedo
It’s something we First World people use incessantly. We use it to take a cold shower after a long hot day. Heat in a mug and make a cup of tea when it’s cold. Fill it in water guns and balloons just to play. Splash it around during the summer in the pool. See it flow down in park fountains for decoration. Buy it in bottles to keep hydrated at school. Have fun with it in Soak City during vacation. Let it run down the street when we wash a car. Leave it running while washing our hands. Sprinkle it twice a day in the green yard. Mold it at the beach to make castles in the sand. People elsewhere barely have enough to survive. We should be grateful we have enough to keep us alive.
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Nobody Knows Me
-Victor Malof
My name is Ekundayo, meaning “sorrow becomes joy”; Honestly, that’s the only thing that gives me some form of solace. No one out there cares about us. Nobody knows me.
There’s no water here or far. The town’s viceroy Sends my mother and I off to the wilderness To fetch some water for our town, a hospice. Nobody knows me.
We are dying of thirst, we hate to annoy Other countries, who are so privileged yet so senseless Towards our own justice. Nobody knows me.
To think that the absence of water can destroy My village and its culture is an idea that is reckless. Our identity is being downgraded to pus. Nobody knows me.
I am going to die soon; the missing water will toy With my physical and psychological states and make them grievous. I had my chance at life and I failed. What will you do with yours? Nobody knows me.
I have no hope. I have no destiny. All that’s left of me is a carcass that is faceless. Not having water is not having life’s preciousness. Nobody knows me.
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Life
-Brianna Rios
We see it and yet it stays invisible, water How can we save the invisible We must use less We must be conscious of how much we use We could wither and die from its absence The larger issue has always been the big thirst
People all over know the pain of thirst In some areas it is hard to find water People feel the pang of waters absence People with easy access see it as invisible People need to be careful of the amount they use People with water knowledge use less
They feel the guilty unless they use less How can they over use when they know others can be in thirst They watch how much they and the people closest use They feel the need to protect water They see water it is not invisible They never want to feel water’s absence
Dirty water could mean its absence Individuals with dirty water have no water not less Dirty water is not invisible Dirty water cause even more thirst Dirty water is infectious possibly poisonous water Dirty water needs to be cleansed before use
The more clean water you see you use Humans must feel its absence The more you feel about water The more you know to use less The feelings of guilt should over power thirst The way you see water is crucial so, it cannot be as invisible
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Although it is a clear liquid it cannot be invisible You must be wise in your use Although some must face thirst You cannot wait till it’s gone to feel the weight of its absence Although it’s clear it is not weight less You must be careful with your water
Many face the threat of thirst, for it to not be invisible The way water, flows contributes to its use You do not need to feel its absence, for you to use less
Conserve Water
-Sebastian Reyes
The water usage habits of our Nation must have conservation be Priority, for showers lasting an hour Don’t fill nature with a sense of glee. Water is not infinite, use No more than what you need so others Enjoy the fruits of your lack of abuse, Precious water with their sisters and brothers. We cannot shrug responsibility, Not everyone is as lucky as we Few souls who understand the harmony Brought by water in this land of the free.
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A Liquid Limerick
-Courtney Turk
Without any access to water, How will she save her daughter? If only they understood, The little actions that could, Help before it gets hotter.
The Trek
-Tyler Gorman
Forced to move through unseen lands, If not only following the path of those before us, Huddled, we stay and wait in an attempt to comfort.
Crying, but bringing joy, to most this is strange. Crying is hated and seen with disgust, but here crying is precious. Consumed we move on, again no longer able to stay. If only we knew absolute direction But always moving we must be away.
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The Water Serpent
-Michael Schmidt
Water is bending, Like a snake it Coils, turns, across land. It is yielding to The land, flowing at Its will. However, Water is also Fierce, hard, unyielding. It has the power To carve Grand Canyons, To destroy rock and Stone. Water is a Powerful item That we can control. No wonder we live By and value it. We must attempt to Preserve what we can.
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We Need Water
-Elijah Delossantos
Two-thirds of the world is water. You drink it when it gets hotter. 70 percent makes up you, And it ranges from clear, to brown, to green, to blue. We don't know what it’s worth, Yet we need it all over the Earth. For others it’s a way of life, Toiling everyday in strife. They need water to survive, Anxiously waiting for it to arrive. For US it’s just another commodity, Ignorant to Third World oddity. For US it’s just a common taste, As we let it drip drip drip, what a waste.
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Water, Water Everywhere
-Raymon Hutalla
Water, Water Everywhere We don’t understand how lucky we are We waste so much without a care When for others water is but a wish on a star
We constantly use water, day and night If it was better conserved our future would be bright But in our current state we’re looking at turmoil, There won’t be any left to water our soils
Water, Water Everywhere This beautiful element comes in many forms From the snow that falls onto my hair To the rain created by thunderstorms
But now there is no time to waste We must save the water; we must make haste For so long it has been ours to abuse If it disappeared, we all surely lose
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Water in America
-Francisco Salinas
Something that concerns us all, Yet is unavailable to many, Our sprinklers and fountains make it fall, Becoming inaccessible until there is not any. There is no water gain or water loss, Only its relocation and its unavailability, What makes it almost unappreciated is its low cost, But it has the power to bring stability. The irony of faucet water, Is that it’s treated better than bottled, Just because we do not bother, But let underprivileged countries be our model. We may be a country of many resources, Which lacks appreciation towards what we have, But if we don’t educate ourselves on its sources, Our water will eventually come out of a lab.
Las Vegas Showcase
-Jillian Alegre
Water. An element to flow For the fish that swim below. Or the Las Vegas water show case That brings brightness to a kid’s face. Water allows us to grow.
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Water, Ponies, Anime, Who?
-Christian Mejia
Sand turns to glass Wood turns to ash Pool turns to diamond But water trumps them all
Water turns to vapor Vapor in the. Sky it turns to crystals and falls to die
and in its death it brings life. With life comes Honesty, Loyalty, Generosity, Kindness, Laughter, and Magic. Allons-y! Water come down, Come Down. See you Space Cowboy…
Everywhere
-Eric Cordero
Water everywhere so blue and clear, Found both far and near. Millions of gallons wasted every year What are we supposed to do as millions have growing fear. Conserve and reduce, Because once it is gone what are we to do when we can no longer reproduce.
Let’s use all our power and limit our showers Conserve using the water towers.
What are we planning to do when there is not water left?
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Overcoming Water
-Andres Jimenez
People tend to recognize and prevent problems that will devastate them. With a water problem people are content with their life but they’ll soon be condemned.
The scarcity of water will torment everyone and new problems will stem from the lack of water and we’ll lament because there will be mayhem.
Everyone can help reach a solution, if each of us conserves more water we could reverse our reckless behavior. Through our action we will be able to alter and reverse the effects of this crisis.
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Modern Water
-Chrissy Milo
Here we are, in a world today Whose water has gone astray. It is not Mother Nature, nor God’s punishment, But, through human faulty, we have achieved astonishment.
We have abused this luxury enough, for the water is now dried up. As we pour the water into our cups, As we use it to wash our pups, As we go on with these petty break ups, Remember the water is now dried up.
We can kiss this pureness goodbye, For all the water we’ll have left, is when we cry. Fulfilling our thirst, nourishing nature, cleaning our bodies, It is no wonder why we’re disembodied.
We must preserve what we have left, It is important to remember what we have kept. Shut off the faucet, tone down the watering, For if we achieve this, it deserves an applauding. Water is more than an essential; it is a way of life. So that now, there is a less of strife.
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One Less Show Won’t Kill
-Jawaher Karram
“Drip, drop, drip” do the water fountains sing, splattering their precious water to amuse the walkers on the strip. Hotter and thirstier do the children complain, escaping the heat with a zing of refreshing splashes that pour in the mouth and into the gutters in a single fling. Night falls and the hotels get brighter, tourists flock the streets just to see the water get higher. None notice the supplies of water depleting with every spring, plop, and splash of water on the floors. Smaller water shows won’t hurt. Tourists won’t be disheartened during tours. Cutting shows down during the day won’t cause a blurt, as simple solutions will help lessen America’s water wars by saving every squirt.
Drink
-Savanna Minor
Running through faucets A nice, cold glass of water Cherish every drop
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Taken for Granted
-Sharynne Alfonso
Water is everywhere: In our oceans, our rivers, our seas. Water is everywhere; so tell me why there are thirsty children, please.
Clean water is taken for granted Purified water is not always at hand Clean water is taken for granted as many do not have access to clean water in their land.
The thirst is real but here we are overwatering flowers. The thirst is real but here we are wasting water by the hour.
They say all water problems are local so if you want to help out, get vocal.
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The Fool & the Wise
-Daneth Maldonado
It’s everywhere. It is in your kitchen, your bathroom, your pool, It is in your pet's bowl, it’s in your cup It is in your flower base, and it’s in you.
Question is, are you wise, or do you choose to be a fool?
A fool, is one who views water as a mere body. one who sees it as “H2O” and think of it as unlimited, and flat. a fool, is the one who lacks to save it. and views it as a simple necessity.
The wise, are those who view water not as mere, but a mighty savior, who is quiet and assuring, the wise are those who treat water as precious and unique, and those who know its value, which is more than just a simple necessity.
Now, do you notice? have you realized its importance? remember; those who do not, are fools and those who do, are wise
So, who do you choose to be?
79 Lyrical Liquid
The Lethe
-Irene Agliam
We forget its importance We forget its existence The river that flows to great distance. We're surrounded by it, even our coldest sweat, The water around us, we tend to forget
Flowing through the fires of hell, The river with forgotten souls—farewell. To forget its existence on earth, Drink from the river and feel its worth.
She clears the mind of those who are real, Water in life, used to heal. The river in the underworld that's known to neglect, Water in life, it's so perfect, The water around us, we tend to forget.
Tranquil
-Derek Mark
Standing in the rain, it calms me; the rain. I’m silent Treading water in this sea Barely above the ship swallowing waves.
80 Lyrical Liquid
The Natural Helper
-Derrick Mercado
A feeling of harmony, a sense of repose It fuels our bodies Every day. Caters to our every will Responsible for everything we need and want It has always been there for us Ever since the beginning of time, the beginning of life. Millions of years of existence Hardly anything has changed about it But it has changed us Helped us grow and develop By letting us take advantage of it But what does it gain from us? Today, billions and trillions wasted each day In one nation. No appreciation, no respect. All could be a barren wasteland With all left to fend for themselves And all will eventually fade away It’s always been there for us, To take care of us, To help us, To nourish us. So why can’t we do the same?
81 Lyrical Liquid
Little Observation
-Mayra Vizcarra
I turn on the sink, To brush my teeth, I look at the water that goes down the drain. The wasted water wallows, As the bubbly soap follows Seeing it go triggered something in my brain. Where does it go? Who does it see? Water that I wasted please come back to me.
My Love for Water
-Julie Gallarte
Water. My life, my soul, my everything. Her beauty was pure and clear as crystal. She lights up my whole world. She helped me live in this world. She splashed my heart away. Every time I see her, I feel like I’m in heaven. Oh, what would I do without her? But then… She disappeared out of nowhere And was never seen again. My life, my soul, my everything, Shattered into a million pieces; Gone forever.
82 Lyrical Liquid
The Water Cycle
-Ashley Saucier
The life of water is like a cycle, Water goes around and around Goes around like the wheel of a motorcycle. Water goes to the cities and towns It releases energy and warms the environment Water helps maintain life It is warm and not violent Like a mother and a wife. The sun heats water in oceans and seas. Rain is the precipitation And creates a warm rainy breeze Onto the ground with infiltration.
83 Lyrical Liquid
Water’s Value
-Jazzrel Tanedo
I find the value of water is found by some, But is lost on the ignorant and dumb, Some would pay an arm for drops in droughts, The dumb watch gallons fall unused from spouts, But each is blind of water’s value by the some and dumb.
70% of an Inverse Shrine
-Rachel Emperador
Your body is a shrine, A temple for the endless scheme Of water in consonants of pantomime, Vowels of liquid set to teem. Why then is it thrown out? Like Las Vegas’ mall plant waste display, When it is nothing like a lout, Truly residing in every ocean and bay? You are water and water is you, Even if your insides aren’t made of blue, Water is you and you are water, Even if your limbs are not its paternal father. You nourish the youth and the life of the sea; So make sure it matters more than the bend of the knee.
84 Lyrical Liquid
The Importance of Water
-Danaly Griffith
It may not seem all that important, Seeing that it’s always there. But what if one day you wanted water And there was none anywhere. You’re lucky you don’t have to walk miles and miles To get the water your body needs. But not everyone is as lucky as us Millions of people die without water And have to travel just to get it. You think your life is so hard? Having to clean your pool Or wash the car? At least you have that pool and car, But more importantly At lest you have easy access to the water you take advantage of.
85 Lyrical Liquid
Save Our Town!
-Maya Ramirez
The problem with water is that we are losing a lot, and fast And in order to change it, population needs to take the right path To conserve water as much as we can So we can be an example for other lands. Flushing the toilet less and taking a shorter shower Are some of the little steps to make our nation greater. Because right now we are losing money, and losing money fast And if this continues, we may be out of cash Because water is not cheap! Why do you ask? Because there is a leak! In the faucet, in the shower, in the bathtub too The sprinklers have been on and we are losing our blue. The blue water we drink and that’s deep inside us all Because we can’t grab our phone and make a call To inform our friends to let it mellow if it’s yellow And flush it down when it’s brown! Because one less flush is how we can save our town!
86 Lyrical Liquid
Ubiquitous
-Angela Rosario
Water is the blood of life, It is the driving force behind strife--in Third World countries. But water is much more. It provides comfort to those whom experienced a traumatizing event, It relieves the great thirst for those who have run a 5k, It enthralls those who dive into pools of public places as well as the pools in the great Olympics, It pours heavily onto anything that is below throughout a storm, It falls from bathroom sinks and shower heads, but rises from the sprinklers resting on lawns, It is a necessity for every living creature that lurks this earth. But why do we fail to truly appreciate water for its real worth?
Waste not, want not
-Alex Creighton
The water drips from my head This water here, has been shed From the shower I inhabit. And like a quick and speedy rabbit, Rushes away into the river bed.
87 Lyrical Liquid
A Gift
-Carla A. Jimenez
Chalchiuhtlicue* calls out to all, I give thee a gift, As clear as a crystal and, As blue as the sky.
For at the beginning it was cared for. With the start of every calendar, There would be blood spilled, Satisfying those above.
But now a new calendar begins, Where a gift intended for all, No longer is shared by all, But by those who can afford it.
*Aztec Goddess of water; pronounced [chall-wee-tl’E- kO]
88 Lyrical Liquid
The World’s Regret
-Aurelio Diaz
Where does it come from? This source that we take for granted That does not have shape or form And begins to disappear when we most want it.
Is it because America is its number one consumer? Or because we don’t know how to care for it? Now we have become its number one pursuer With regret of ever wasting it.
We have been in aquatic paradise for too long It is time for us to move on To better ideas to right the wrong, And if done, a better future will come.
89 Lyrical Liquid
Water Show in Vegas
-Ashna Khatri
Walking down the Vegas Strip my eyes start to gleam I ask myself, how did they get all this water here; there are no rivers or streams? Bundles of spectators gathered to see, thousands of gallons of water to sway, to the beat of Billie Jean. “The fountains of Bellagio with its rippling curtains of water.” Depleting this natural resource is the city’s alma mater. For the sake of entertainment, this necessity becomes a martyr.
Heading towards the next pseudo oasis, we halt at an imita- tion of Italy. There flows the Venetian canals, as though I teleported to another country. Although, “ignorance doesn’t matter until things go wrong,” Catching up to us in no time, wasteful habits end terribly.
“But the real obsession in Vegas is water. Displaying it, un- furling it, playing with it, and flaunting it.” Conservation is the key: reducing, recycling, and respecting reaps benefit. Small eco-friendly actions can make a difference In preserving H2O, bit by bit.
90 Lyrical Liquid
Why Do You Waste Me?
-Charmayne Judkins
Why do you waste me? Do I not give you enough and replenish your bodies? You do not hold me dear enough or sacred... I am a valuable source to them, yet you waste and splurge me! I take care of you- I wash your hair, clean your bodies, wash all of your sin down the drain, and quench every thirst you have. Why do you waste me? Soon you all will have none of me, You use me as if I mean nothing more than a broken down damaged floor board, It will be my sweet revenge when I am long gone, And you will never see me again, But for now all I can say is... Why do you waste me? You hear the screams I make as you leave the faucet on, run your showers for too long or flush your toilets consistently, Your heartless abuse has taken its toll on me and left me questioning my existence and meaning... Why do you waste me?
91 Lyrical Liquid
No Water No Life
-Vicky Cruz
Save water one drop at a time. Our most used substance is others’ despair. No water, no life.
We use 70 gallons per day, While they are desperate for just one. Save water one drop at a time.
Our thirst quencher; 3 million others’ source of death. No water, no life.
We have water fights, While they fight for water. Save water one drop at a time.
Our sanitation; 780 million others’ source of disease. No water, no life.
Don’t let others die of water scarcity, While you are surrounded by a sea of water. Save water, one drop at a time. No water, no life.
92 Lyrical Liquid
The Land Filled with the Sea
-Louie Amog
I wish to one day visit the land filled with the sea It kills me that I have to wait Oh, but the attraction is starting to flee
I must see before it leaves no doubt Before it is gone and it is too late I wish one day to visit the land filled with the sea
But all of the contents are starting to fade out Shall this be its horrid fate? Oh, but the attraction is starting to flee
It is leaving the planet and leaving people’s mouths All that is missing is a definite doomsday date I wish to one day visit the land filled with the sea
Witnessing the current emptiness prompts me to shout The catastrophe of this is more than great Oh, but the attraction is starting to flee
This is not the way that I would like for it to go out The world will now be in a dire and dry state I wish to one day visit the land filled with the sea Oh, but the attraction is starting to flee
93 Lyrical Liquid
Sacred Source
-Raquel Hernandez
It dissipates past fingers insignificant. Its current flows through veins beyond thought. It sustains no threat rather embodies the foundation of inner beings. WATER – an essential element. Conservation is the key for future generations.
The World without Water
-Candace Johnson
How would the world be without water? We would lack many things — we would falter We wouldn't have anything to drink Rivers, lakes, oceans would be empty to the brink How would we survive with the hot weather? And without electricity we'd be no better We use water to cook, to drink, to wash, to live It is clear that the effects of water would be massive We use water everyday But what if water were taken away?
94 Lyrical Liquid
Water: Preserve the Worth
-Daniel Orena
Through water is life, and unity Is made through its share. All nations suffering in poverty Are lacking clean water and air. With dry fields of soil in Africa, And less water for mankind, Leads to a whole 'nother caliber, Of death of populations worldwide. The water is used for drinking, For showers and cleaning as well. Which should persuade everyone into thinking, That without water is Hell. We must conserve water, advice from one to another, Because in order to live, we need water.
95 Lyrical Liquid
Ignorant Wasting
-Omar Ruiz-Medellin
The silent drop falls on the buds of the tongue We think that what we do is not wrong Till the last molecule In this sad world that we rule The world with so little, yet so young
Took it for granted we did With the ignorance of a kid We did not have much The last of what we have we clutch The waist of it we must forbid Remember to close the lid The waste of water will not be undermined For we have all been blind Remember water, for it is not only yours nor only mine
96 Lyrical Liquid
Why Try
-Christein Humphery
We’ve tried to get it out The word on the waste We’ve all tried to lift The burdens that’s placed Right on our shoulders By teachers we knew Why try to speak on the problems of Blue
Why try to save Our showers are long We stand under heat And break into song Singing of love And singing of hurt Performing in head And showing our worth Now while in our head No time has gone by But when we have fun The time it does fly We’ve wasted ten minutes Sad but it’s true Why try to speak on the problems of Blue
We know there are people Dying of thirst The fact that we waste Is probably the worst What should we do? Our teachers have asked The grade is what matters No attention will last Is there a thing that any could do? Why try to speak on the problems of Blue
97 Lyrical Liquid
A Poem for Blind Aquatic Dreamers
-Kimberly Hom
With our ignorant relationship to water I ponder, That why only when water disappears is when water immediately becomes visible? Will we make it better or just stand still here longer?
For the century past aquatic paradise was enjoyed, but blinded by a golden era of water We failed or chose not to see us wander into a new era of water scarcity and so With our ignorant relationship to water I ponder.
Having always been abundant and cheap we never had to bother, That maybe a water crisis would befall us from the insidiously pleasures we enjoy. Will we make it better or just stand still here longer?
Our intimacy with water has disappeared and I fear that maybe we made a loner By using its usefulness day after day and never appreciating. With our ignorant relationship to water I ponder.
We know nothing about water yet we are all experts on water Or so we think still asking exactly where it came from. Will we make it better or just stand still here longer? Piling up all the privileges and pleasures earth’s blind dreamers squander,
Water must be laughing how our fate depends on us approaching the watery truth we avoid With our ignorant relationship to water I ponder. Will we make it better or just stand still here longer?
98 Lyrical Liquid
Our Commodity and their Intangibility
-Karen Zamudio
Preserve our irrigated water Don’t let its extensive supply become inferior Commodity is water’s depreciating superior Make resolutions and don’t abuse your power Even if we have to take less time in the shower tangible to us and intangible to them puts them in danger those with scarce water supply need a savior and implement the decay of water; take part in the preservation of water
Collaborate and conserve Save water and its prosperities To implement its importance we should care Don’t sit around and observe Join water cause charities A basic element of our survival to waste it- should we not dare
99 Lyrical Liquid
The Big Thirst
-Kaylah Alexander
I am a little girl from a Third World country And I fight for water because it’s hard to find from where I’m from But I hear you have plenty..why won’t you share? Why can’t I have any? Don’t you waste it and use it all the time? I just need a little taste to survive Save it and help others like me, don’t be stingy just out of greed Why do you think that it is okay for you to have a surplus amount? And my family and I are over here fighting for A drop a day, a drop for survival I don’t mean to ask so many questions But I just must know why...why won’t you share? Please save some for me I know you can do it Use less not more You just have to try I’m honestly too young to die.
100 Lyrical Liquid
Goodbye, Farewell
-Marcus Andrew Buenviaje
When water comes we don’t believe it’ll leave, So we all waste it until the eve. But when it’s gone we all begin to weep, We search but don’t find, losing all out slee, When water leaves, we all don’t achieve
The water plummets into the sink, I watch it and don’t even blink, I say farewell, But when I look outside I see a child crying for a well I look back at my sink, and my heart begins to shrink.
The Thirst is Real
-Camille Soriano
Water. It’s one of life’s gifts and necessities that we all long for. Without it, the village becomes sore. It has the value is of a Diamond in North America. But the scarcity on Earth becomes a struggle. For many of us we go on days and nights without a drip or a drop. Water. With it, the people and nature flourish in wealth. Without it, all hell breaks loose.
101 Lyrical Liquid
Waste
-Jacob Castanho
A lifeless drop that holds all life. Its Absence is the cause of strife. It is something present within ourselves.
It is a connection on a global scale.
It runs in rivers It moves through streams We take it for Granted and use it wastefully.
While some only have it in their dreams
And while it surrounds us and is our everyday, There are those who struggle,
To find what we so wastefully ignore. If we keep this up we will have no more.
102 Lyrical Liquid
The Only Important Thing to My Life is Water
-Ramona Sola
The only important person to my life is Water She is the most beautiful item that has ever graced the earth Her significance to me could not be any clearer It’s good to know that she has been there with me since birth
What was once a person filled with beauty is now diminishing in its value Her figure has shrunk and is going away after every day The graying of her appearance, oh what has happened to her glaring color of blue? I wish I could save her, if only I could find a way
Her face is melting with the intense heat of the sun Her body is tired, and too many times she has been put to work With time not on her side, she is close to being done She has served many people; she has served as a clerk
Why, oh why, must her beauty fade away? Once a dazzling marveling piece of creation, Is now the living example of the word decay? And soon she will be lost by all the nations
103 Lyrical Liquid
Our Flowing Savior
-Jia Baluyot
Water washes my hands Slips like sand
Water goes down a river Slides like a snake slithers
Water can wait Or show up late
Water comes from the sky It can never fly
Water can be reborn It can’t be forlorn
Water has existed forever It will always be better
Water is reliable Water is our friend
104 Lyrical Liquid
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