A Perspective
A Perspective
By Olivia Powell
Woodstock Union High School, Grade 10
I am a home
To the spotted fur of the jaguar,
Blended into the damp
Bark and twisting vines.
To the twinkling eyes of frogs
Whose deadly venom lies unseen
Behind the pastel blues, reds, and yellows
Of smooth, sultry skin.
I am a home
To the silent flutter
Of glamorous feathers
Trailing behind the colorful body
Of a parrot.
To the chaotic
Hoots, wails and cries of monkeys
Whose territory has been invaded.
I am a witness
To the growth
Of a young plant
Timidly poking its head through the soil.
I am a witness
To the persistent tapping
Of an unseen beak
Against a speckled shell.
As I am a witness to life
I am also a witness
To the destruction of life.
I am a witness
To the foreign, nasal roar of saws
The defeated crashes of ancient trees
The crackle and oppressive heat
Of hungry flames.
I am a witness
To the shredding of
Wood, leaves and vines
Within the metallic teeth of a machine.
I am a witness to the panicked eyes
Of a leopard kit
Separated from her mother in the flames.
Someday I hope to be the witness
Of change.
When the day comes for life
To thrive once more within me,
Without the threat of saws, trucks, or flames.
I am a home and a witness
Of this ancient rhythm of life.
I am the rainforest.