A Wasted Chance (a poem by Hayden Schaefer Burke, Age 13)

Forests and deserts

Not so different in this changing world

Threads unravel

The tapestry falls to the ground

Out of human ignorance

The world stops spinning under the everlasting burden of humanity

Unable to carry on  it closes its eyes for the last time

The sky is no longer blue

The ground hard unforgiving

With nothing else to yield

For it has been robbed of its beauty

Its warmth

Its cool breezes

There is only the foul smell of defeat on the wind

Its listless drifting

With no purpose

History withers

The present is no place for wishes or remembrances

For the once beautiful tapestry has been tarnished

By human ignorance

Hayden Schaefer Burke is 13 years old and lives in New Canaan, Connecticut. He has been spending his summer on the shores of Crescent Lake in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, surrounded by nature and his extended family. Hayden will be attending his 6th year at Camp Belknap and he will be entering the 7th grade this fall. He he looks forward to learning more about environmental issues and ancient civilizations. He would love to work for National Geographic some day.

Biohabitats believes in amplifying the voices of young people who care about ecosystems and social and environmental justice.  If you know a young person who would like to contribute to Biohabitats’ Rhizome blog or Leaf Litter publication, please contact Amy Nelson.