w r i t t e n b y m i m i

When the word 'beauty' is defined

Nature's bounty comes to mind,

The splendid Flora given by the Earth,

Various jewels of priceless worth,

Petals of red and leaves of green,

Every color in between,

We do all we can to let them thrive,

In return, they help us survive,

But if we exploit and harden our hearts,

Our beautiful home can never do its part.

All the toxic fumes infused in the air,

Chemicals causing plants to wither and wear,

Stunting the growth of flowers and trees,

Earth's endless treasures being destroyed and seized,

And under our oceans, it's just as horrific,

Plants wiped out from the Atlantic to the Pacific,

Glistening, sun-kissed waves that bring us peace,

A facade that hides the horrors underneath,

Marine debris cluttering the surface of the sea,

Blocking the sunlight that Flora desperately need.

The terrible effects of pollution seem to never end,

This is the message that I'm trying to send,

We all need to do what we are able,

Fight against these crimes, finally turn the tables,

No matter how little- every action lends a hand,

To improving Flora under the tides and on land,

Be cautious and keep your eyes peeled,

Don't litter, no matter how lazy you feel,

Don't follow those whose 'promises' fall flat,

Protect our home- it's as simple as that.

• Pollution is one of the biggest global killers, affecting over 100 million people. That's comparable to global diseases like malaria and HIV.

• There are 200 known 'dead zones', or areas deprived of oxygen and devoid of life (area between 1 and 70,000 km²) in the world ocean: this number has doubled every decade since 1960.

• Over 1 million seabirds and 100,000 sea mammals are killed by pollution every year.