By Khivi Singh, Irie Garrett
During 350 Sacramento’s Ode to Earth festival on Aug. 18, winners of a writing competition put on in partnership with 916 Ink were honored for their environmental-themed works of poetry.
350 Sacramento is a grassroots volunteer-driven nonprofit that works towards climate action in Sacramento, and 916 Ink is a nonprofit furthering youth literacy through its arts-based creative writing programs, workshops and tutoring.
The competition was open to writers in two categories: youth writers from 12-16 years of age and young adult writers aged 17-24. Below are the works of the two winners.
“Mother Ganges” by Khivi Singh, Grade 8
None other is like her
She flows in the scorching heat of the sun
She flows in the pain of the pounding of the rain
She flows dutifully in confidence that she will never be slain
None other is like her
Her beauty is that of a goddess
The water glistening like her sparkling eyes
The waves like her satin sari flowing in the wind
The warmth on the water like her words
Soothing and comforting, like a mother’s gracious embrace
None other is like her
She crashes into rocks as she treads cautiously down dangerous mountains
Her determination is yet to cave
She toils on like a slave
She must not make any mistakes
As it is herself that she must save
None other is like her
Millions yearn to lay eyes on her mystique
They are unaware of her fatigue
They dirty her headwaters yet desire to cleanse in her soul
In her heart a gaping hole
However nothing taints her beauty
None other is like her
People roll in and out of her presence like the unpredictable tide
They show a face of devotion,
A façade of appreciation
They deprive her of her rest
But she knows that they are her humble guests
She must only provide them with the best
None other is like her
She knows she is forever here for them
She knows she originates from the infinite destroyer of sins
She is the embodiment redemption
Yet unsure if she herself is ever to be redeemed
None other is like her
“Oasis” by Irie Garrett, age 17
An experience with nature that changed my life — I visited Yellowstone National Park on a
cultural exchange program, and met people who had lived there all their lives. I noticed how
different our Urban home was from their vast natural one, and how our lifestyles differed. More
importantly, however, I noticed how we were able to find a space between to connect, as
described in the following poem:
Gold ribbons swirl against the early dusk
The fading stars retain their sheen
As a feathered shadow soars high
The river persists, steady as the centuries it’s seen
A hooved path is paved in the dewy carpet
A mountain’s embrace holds a world of green
When flora and fauna join as one
Two worlds interlink, brighter together than they’d been
The weathered face of stone has watched lives pass
A million little footprints, in an ever-present scene
Though life’s one constant is relentless change
The river persists, steady as the centuries it’s seen
A bridge, spun out of gold, upholds beginnings and ends
In a busy world where living is a fling
The white gull’s cry is one of freedom
As sugar-spun clouds drift beyond the eye’s reach
Pavement tells the stories of generations lived
Leaves are interwoven, like the people all beneath
Even when memories are carried like the wind
The river flows on, steady as the centuries it’s seen
In the midst of swirling sand stands a pool of serenity
An oasis where two sides may find peace
Existence is turmoil, differences are inevitable
But we’ve all found a place to simply be
The river flows steady as the centuries it’s seen
Two world interlink, brighter together than they’d been
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