When KidsPost asked readers to write poems about the Earth to be published April 22, we figured it was an opportunity to highlight two important events: National Poetry Month and the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. What we didn't know in February is that the world would take a pause in its normal busyness because of the coronavirus pandemic. The pause has allowed many people to connect with nature and think about the planet, even without millions of people gathering Wednesday for Earth Day rallies. More than 400 kids took that time to send us creative and heartfelt poems. We have highlighted 10 here, and the authors will received a prize package that includes Naomi Shihab Nye's new poetry collection: "Cast Away." But we can't resist sharing others, so check our online gallery.
Earth
A lovely place that we call home,
With all we want and need,
A planet we hurt and take things from,
Is failing at increasing speed.
With water so we stay alive,
Air so we can breathe,
It may be hard but if we try,
Think of all the good we can achieve.
Mother nature nurtures us,
Now let's return the love,
Let's show her that we care so much,
And work to clean the air above.
It's shameful our polluting crimes,
It's clear our home feels hurt,
But if we put in effort at times,
We can heal our Earth.
— Avery Fisher, 12, Gaithersburg, Maryland
Earth Changing
The earth is sick
But can get better
The sky can go from black
Rivers can go from gray
People are going from healthy
People are going from happy
The earth endures
People will too
The earth is shifting
Good to bad
And bad to good
Everything is changing
And so are you
— Kaitlyn Schlipf, 10, San Francisco, California
Treasure
Treasure can be pieces of gold
A fountain that makes you never grow old
It can be achievements, like going to the moon,
It can be knowledge or a
magical rune.
But perhaps the greatest
treasure of all
Is one little sapling, ever so small.
So stop the plastic and the CO2
And find ways to do something new.
Something that treats the earth with care
That won't clog up oceans or pollute the air.
Love that sapling, help it grow tall,
And you'll have saved the greatest treasure of all.
— Lily Fischer, 12, Rockville, Maryland
Earth's Rhythms
Echo of caves
Animals live free
Rivers of life
Trees that bloom
Hurricanes that roar
— Victor Malesky, 8, Durham, North Carolina
The World As I See It
Destruction.
But at the same time,
Potential.
As long as we have hope and love,
Our planet will flourish.
We can do this, together.
— Eleanor Kim, 11, Fairfax, Virginia
Share this articleShareA Time
There was a time
To be kissed awake,
A glamorous glow
Of a brand-new day,
A sea song
In this thoughtful nook
By the pond,
Stretching in the hum
Of the sun.
The song I urge to hear,
Trapped in the plastic
Littering my friend,
The blushing breeze
That tickled at my face
Carrying blossoms
From above
Brings smoke and gas
From factories
Who tinker with nothing
But nightmares
And snatch away
My animal homes.
I will tell you to stand
We must end
These giants' reign
Over our fading mother.
— Ella DeVore, 11, Woodbridge, Virginia
Climbing Trees
Climbing trees is amazing for me
Looking at the world below
In time I will reach the moon from climbing
My brother loves climbing up high
Bye Bye, I've reached the sky
In my own world drowning out every noise
Notches bring me higher
Going down from lumberjacks
Trees can get as tall as 5 giraffes stacked
Reaching higher every second
Escalating to magnificent heights
Elevating my mood
Scrambling up trees
— Soren Bethune Smith, 10, Takoma Park, Maryland
Earth/El Mundo
Life, Love
Breathing, Eating, Growing
Playing in the sun
— Austin Peltzman, 6, Washington, D.C.
My Environment
Flowers dancing in the breeze
Leaves rustling in the trees
Squirrels leaping overhead
Beautiful cardinals in coats of red
Bright green grass all around
Birds singing — a wonderful sound
If you really love this scene
Remember to keep my
environment clean!
— Karen Lindberg, 8, Crofton, Maryland
The Good Neighbors
The day is sweltering hot
Sweat beads on foreheads
Trash bags crinkle and stretch as everybody works side by side
Blacks, whites, and browns band together
Youngs and olds hand each other water bottles in the heat
High pitched, low pitched
Voices blend together
Even the children plant flowers.
Nobody cares about dirty clothes
Nobody worries about tomorrow
All that matters is, here, now
Children laugh as they play with the soft soil
Old folks release tension, relax as they hear the laughter
— In order for the Earth to take care of you, you have to take care of it.
— Natalie David, 12, West Lafayette, Indiana
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