A leaf’s hope for compassion

let’s make better choices to prevent the disaster.

We waited eagerly for the sun to rise,

and soon, we were showered with abundant supply of light.

We knew, the title “Warriors of our planet” came with great responsibility.

and so, each of us worked hard to do our best to protect life on earth.

As we were aware of being the only species on the planet capable of doing what we did best.

Much of what we did was labelled as photosynthesis by humans.

The roots of our community worked hard to gather water and minerals from the rich soil.

The branches , they helped transport the raw materials collected from the roots to us.

We, were assigned to absorb light from the sun and carbon di oxide from the air.

All put together, was how we prepared Oxygen.

A requirement so crucial, that life on earth depended on it for survival.

Without oxygen , most lives would be dead.

Some called us the warriors, while yet others called us the protectors,

probably because we prepared what they needed for survival,

along with the food our own communities needed to get through the changing seasons.

I was just a tiny leaf when I took up this huge responsibility with great interest in working towards maintaining a healthy balance in nature.

I’ve seen things change with time.

As long as we all lived being conscious,

of the fact that our lives were all interconnected.

Life flourished and was great.

Things started to change when humans decided to function on their own,

slowly cutting us off the equation of balance, disregarding the harmony everyone once maintained.

There was a time, where people once asked us before taking things from us,

Now, they simply took what they wanted.

Like everything belonged to them in the first place.

First they polluted the air, then the waters and now the soil.

O human! All I ask is how far will you go? In the name of development.

Ignoring the damage your kind has caused the rest of the lives on earth.

We battled the polluted air and the polluted waters,

The only place left for us to thrive on was the rich soil.

Now you’ve come to take that away from us too.

We, being the warriors will fight our battles till death,

To protect all the lives that depend on us.

But I wonder, how things will turn out for you.

Haven’t you noticed the amount of carbon di oxide in the air increasing?

Or the insidious rise in temperature?

Reducing levels of Oxygen in the air? everywhere you’ve felled trees in excess.

Did you not know that soil has rich organic carbon content?

Every time human activities affect the soil and the soil degrades, where do you think the carbon stored in soil in different forms, that’s released goes?

It goes straight into the atmosphere itself and you still wonder how all these climatic changes are linked to the soil.

It’s funny how humans are so focused on development,

that they ignore the changes that would actually affect their lives.

Those changes that they have caused themselves,

Those changes that will soon start to wreck their lives.

I’ve already seen so many of our people die miserable deaths,

many others whose lives depended on our people perish.

Each day we live, like it could be our last.

It breaks my heart to see young plants and animals die before us.

But I can’t let go of that tiny voice in me,

that still believes in humans.

That still wonders, “What if humans suddenly decided to be our strength, at this hour of distress?”

“What if humans, one by one choose to live an eco friendly life, to the extent each one of them could?”

“What if, they all chose kindness and compassion for us all?”

“What if, life was as simple as it once was?”

“What if, they loved us like they once did?”

“What If?…”

©Aswathi Ashok 2022. All Rights Reserved.

It’s okay if our actions once affected nature, it’s never too late to make better choices. This is based on the prompts for day 18- leaf and day 19- compassion. This poem combines both these prompts. It’s an effort from my side to create awareness of the soil crisis we are facing right now and why it’s important to do so. Soil crisis is real, and it is not a distant danger anymore. Let’s save soil before it’s too late to reverse the damages we have already done #100daysforsoil #consciousplanet #savesoil #savesoilmovement

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