Shayna Klein - 2023

Artist's Statement

One thing I often see in multiple settings in life is that we teach people that we need to teach people to do things and why to do them, but we never really teach them how to do it. In my religion growing up, missionary work was really emphasized. We needed to share this with people, but it was only said why we should and not how, so people left stressed. They felt the burden of the task and also felt the weight of the unsurety of how to proceed.

So in my voice of science, I wanted to give a simple yet thorough platform where I could explain why we needed to be conscious and active in our activism, but also giving the reader some things they could do to lessen their carbon footprint. That way, I’m enlightening but also helping them know where to go after they’re done reading my poem.

I hope you enjoy my humble piece

"Coral Reefs"

I sat up on campus 
Just like any normal day. 
Just trying to pass the class 
And get a good grade. 
My teacher, 
So dedicated to his trade, 
Showed us a picture of a coral grave. 
He says the reefs are dying 
Due to rising temps 
And we should all be trying 
To reduce our carbon prints. 
Our planet is suffering  
From high use of carbon. 
There are some things we can do 
Like planting our own garden. 
We only have one planet, 
So we need to lessen damage. 
Some things to consider, 
Like how much energy we use. 
We should always try to carpool 
And recycle, reduce, reuse. 
We can also plant some trees  
And be mindful of our food. 
More help to give is raise some bees 
If you’re feeling confident and good. 
Small steps to big steps, 
Every effort matters.