Happy Earth Day to all our subscribers and readers of Skipping Stones Magazine. To Celebrate Earth Day, we share with you a short poem by our contributor Maggie d., an African American poet in Washington. Enjoy it!
Beneath A Tree
Someone planted a tree
For me
To get out of
The sun
And enjoy the fun
Of reading a book
Under a roof of pine
Scented branches
Leaving behind my
Stuffy room
And watch
Zooming birds build
Their nest
Without rest
A hardy thank-you goes out
To the person
Who planted a tree
For birds and people like me
By maggie d., African American poet, Washington. She adds:
“The poem erupted from a shade tree being cut down where I live.”
Nature grows over time, so do I.
I am this and this is nature.
I like to be in the sun.
Nature is this and this is I.
I, I, I, I am nature.
By Arya Khan, age 8, Asian American, Illinois. Arya adds: “…nature and we are alike. Living in the city, nature is hard to find. I wish I could find nature like in my backyard or in a fairy tale. So I hope this (my poem) will help people plant trees and help the Earth a little bit more. I am also doing a project called Save the planet…”
Michael Mavris, grade 5, Reading his Poem at the 2021 Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. Photo credit: James Edward Mills.
This year Michael Mavris, a fifth grader from Del Norte, California who won a poetry contest about the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, got the honors of flipping the switch that officially illuminated the tree. For over 50 years the USDA Forest Service’s Christmas gift to the nation, the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, has inspired the imagination of millions. Standing elegantly at the base of Capitol Hill on the West Lawn the massive tree fondly referred to as the People’s Tree is harvested from a different forest every year. This year the Six Rivers National Forest in California had the honors of delivering the 84-foot tall fir tree they named “Sugar Bear.”
The evening ceremony also included comments from the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, and other members of the California delegation in Congress along with the new Chief of the Forest Service, Randy Moore.
We are proud to share Michael’s poem below.
Six Rivers, Many Peoples, One Tree
By Michael Mavris, grade 5, California.
What does the theme “Six Rivers, Many Peoples, One Tree” mean to me?
As I ponder the question presented here, I consider where I am living-literally in the heart of the Six Rivers National Forest.
Here, tucked deep within the Northwestern corner of California is a remote land, whose majesty comes not from achievements of humankind, but rather nature itself.
Six mighty rivers criss-cross this rugged land. From the Smith and Klamath rivers in the north, stretching over to the Eel and the Mad, meeting the Van Duzen and the Trinity in the South, all of our rivers, amongst the cleanest in the world, represent life itself.
Like the First Peoples who have lived here since time immemorial, these rivers overcome every obstacle to ultimately reach their goal of becoming one with the Pacific Ocean.
Is this done by an exhibition of power or a show of strength?
No.
It is accomplished by sheer persistence. The indominable spirit of never giving up which is representative of this land and the Peoples that live here.
From the great tribes: the Yurok, Tolowa, Karuk, Wiyot, Chimariko, Nongatl, Hupa, and Wailaki, we are taught to commune and truly be one with nature. This ethos teaches us to view rugged lands, secluded forests, and fierce weather patterns, as something genuinely beautiful.
Such is the story of the White Fir, also known as Abies Concalor, whose beginnings trace back to a single seed. From this humble seed,dropped onto Mother Earth in a remote region the process begins.Nurtured by the fertile soil, which the Six Rivers saturates throughout the year and, against all apparent odds, not only confronts the weather but embraces it. The young tree emerges proudly upward towards the shining sun.
From this great forest, we bring you the majestic White Fir, to be the Capitol Christmas tree. As the lights are strung and the ornaments placed, we, the People who live in the tree’s symbolic shadow, hope that its beauty and grandeur provide a beacon to America and a reminder on this Christmas, that all things are possible.
Michael Mavris, 5th gradestudent, Del Norte County Unified School District, California.
Have you ever thought about who has caused this trouble?
You might say it’s nature, but do you think of us
and our broken relationship with nature?
Carbon dioxide coming out of cars
Trees going down
Thousands of dead, unwanted fish thrown overboard
Tons of unused food discarded
These are few examples of what’s happening in our world
Then how can we help nature?
If you have thought, “How can we help Earth?”
Then here are some things we can do:
Reuse, reduce, recycle
Use reusable bags
Use reusable bottles
Plant trees
Pick up trash
Save electricity by turning off lights
Use renewable energy
These are a few ways we can help
Have you ever thought what a beautiful world it would be
If we could make Earth—our home—clean?
“I am Chinese and I live in California. I am bilingual—I speak both Chinese and English fluently, I can also read and write these two languages.
My Global Warming poem was inspired by climate change. I want people to know that our world may soon be inhabitable if we do not change our ways.
My vision of the future is the past combined with the present, all the trees should be restored to extract all that extra carbon dioxide [from the atmosphere], our houses should be ecosystem-friendly, and every vehicle should run on electricity. This is because of what I think is important, which is the world, the environment, and my family.”
it dresses the earth in wailing white and grassy green
it gives us life
but we take away from its own
the sky is filled with fire
the ground bathed in garbage
after all that it has done to us
we must save it from ourselves
we must protect our world, our home
our beginning
nature
By Jaslene Kwack, age 11, Illinois.
Jaslene writes: “I like writing, art and music. I play the piano, clarinet and I started bassoon a while ago. In my free time, I like to write stories and poems. I try to be creative using metaphors and verbs that aren’t cliche. I enjoy drawing realistic and abstract pieces of art. When I grow up, I want to be a person who combines art and writing in a creative way to entertain or help people.
“I wrote [this] poem about nature and how we are polluting and killing our environment. I want to recognize the beauty of nature and how it formed us in the first place. Sometimes, people don’t give nature as much credit as it should deserve. Without it, our world would be empty and barren. In my poem, I also talk about parts of nature all around us everyday. The wind blowing, the leaves falling from trees. Technology which is represented in my poem as “the city’s lights and sounds” is taking over our world slowly by every hour. I think because of all these new inventions and ways of life we are making for ourselves, a lot of us forget about how important nature is and how it is humanity’s origin. We should recognize nature and be grateful for this world around us. I think we should all strive to be better and protect the earth so that we can keep our world clean and healthy.”
The Lure of the Extraordinary Peacockby Prachi Kothari, age 11, Mumbai, India
A blue glow
That makes everyone say “Ooo”
The peacock’s feathers when spread look like they give to the ground, blue light
Which brings to the watchers, a charming smile
When the wet rain with the ground together clap
This scene is extraordinary, incredible, fab
The peacock starts dancing exceptionally arresting
We feel around us an ecstasy fencing
Golden green rays emit from their feathers
That we can’t stop to gather
For perceiving this wondrous sight
It would be marvelous if it could take a sky-high flight
When looking at it, our eyes pounce out and magically stop
The peacock is so magnificent from bottom to top.
If it comes dancing on the road
Everything from cars to people would be on hold
It spreads out its wings with valor
In us, we need to imbibe that gleaming color.
We should not just sit and perch on the tree
Do something outstanding that makes everyone feel glee
Animals should be given importance and cared
Do not let them become extinct and rare.
Increase the number of animals and birds
Build national parks and sanctuaries where they can freely and happily run
Store the beautiful sights of the peacock in your mind and heart
So that these pleasant sights keep coming repeatedly and ever last.
Prachi Kothari is a 11-yr-old author and has published several books in her series, "The Lightning Bulbs of My Heart".She lives in Mumbai, India, and she is a blogger. You can visit her site: exemplaryprachi.blogspot.com. She is one of the youngest podcasters and runs her show, 'Extraordinary World On Earth' where she spreads excellent awareness of theenvironment. She is a YouTuber at 'Prachi Kothari' where she recites many of her poems.She enjoys writing and hopes to create a better world for all.
