I See Hope

Poem by Sneha Sharma

I have seen change my whole life.

I have seen my parent’s homeland experience drought and pollution

I have seen my hometown lose keystone species like salmon and wolves

I have seen my hometown reach extreme temperatures

I have seen stories of those affected most

I have seen them pay a price that was not theirs to pay

I have seen leaders fail to take ownership of their wrongdoings

I have heard all talk but I have seen no true justice served

I have seen so much change.

But,

I have also seen the youth recognize what must be done.

I have seen the youth rise up and challenge those in power

I have seen the youth make strides in education and transform the broken system

I have seen movements ripple through cities

I have seen what we can do together.

And,

I hope to see my new city follow suit

I hope to see my new city flourish

1 hope to see goal-oriented governance, progressive policies, and a consistent climate

I hope to see warm summers and safe winters

I hope to see my new city make the people feel secure

I hope to see a Green New Deal

I hope to see a change

And I hope to see it now.

A little about the author: Sneha represents Dallas, Texas, and is a student at the University of Texas at Dallas. The poem is in the Climate Justice edition of the Galvanizer, read more here. The Galvanizer is a zine published by Deeds Not Words.

Keep Texas Beautiful illustration by Edith Valle, Art Director of Deeds Not Words.