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Lyrical Liquid Poems Inspired by the 2012-2103 Common Senior Experience Olympian High School Advanced Placement English Literature Students

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Page 1: Olympian High School - Lyrical Liquidolh.sweetwaterschools.org/files/downloads/2013/05/... · 2013-05-13 · and carpets of grim, murderous red earth. Latins, dried thin with bloated

Lyrical Liquid

Poems Inspired by the 2012-2103

Common Senior Experience

Olympian High School

Advanced Placement

English Literature

Students

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Lyrical

Liquid

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FOREWARD

Each year the senior students in Olympian High School’s Ad-

vanced Placement English Literature classes find a way to incorpo-

rate the spirit of the Common Senior Experience into a final project.

This year the students, to include those seniors in Advanced Place-

ment English Language, wrote a poem related to their relationship to

water, thereby addressing the topic of The Big Thirst. Students were

tasked with integrating their knowledge of such literary devices as

figurative language, imagery, symbolism, alliteration, and rhythm (to

name just a few) into their poems. All the poems are included in this

digital poetry journal titled Lyrical Liquid.

What you see in the following pages is a creative attempt to relate

and apply the poetry skills and knowledge acquired during the past

year within the context of the Common Senior Experience.

This digital poetry journal also has the important aim of helping

our readers raise awareness of their important relationship to water.

In essence, we hope the poems in this digital poetry journal encour-

age everyone to not take water for granted.

The authors of these poems have done their best to use various

social media outlets as a way of encouraging people to read this

digital literary journal. You may have been directed to read these

poems via Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Facebook, or good old

fashioned email. In any event, no matter how you got here, we hope

you enjoy the poems!

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ACCOMPANYING ARTWORK

-Cover artwork by Jennyfer Cisnados

-Artwork on page 26 by Jennyfer Cisnado

-Artwork on page 44 by Jennyfer Cisnado

-Artwork on page 54 by Jennyfer Cisnado

-Artwork on page 71 by Valerie Garcia

-Artwork on page 100 by Valerie Garcia

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Lyrical Liquid

Sonnet 59521

-Elijah Williams

Barefoot children traverse on hot, red sand,

Dirty faces adorned with cautious eyes.

Pulsing with the heart of a lowly land,

Lamenting their country’s deaf punctured cries.

Trapped within teeming walls of luscious green

and carpets of grim, murderous red earth.

Latins, dried thin with bloated stomachs lean,

Despite black thirst, bellies rumble with mirth.

Humid air and sickly eyes not alike,

Jaded cities litter rugged terrain,

faces born from boulders with smiles to strike.

A culture weaved from dry dirt far from plain.

Children of a slovenly Third World’s breed,

But majestic, bronze, bold children indeed.

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Lyrical Liquid

2

Drink a Glass Everyday

-Alexis Lagasca

I have never been to the Sahara Desert,

But the unwelcoming place has come to me

As sweat begins to drip down my shirt

The feelings of dry and hot run through my body

I cannot figure out which way is left or right

Or how to walk in a circle without stumbling

The sun stares down, targeting me with burning light

And my knees become weak as I start crumbling

I hear murmuring as I slowly open my eyes,

Vision is still blurry, so I blink a few times.

I concentrate on my mother, who lets out a sigh,

She looks disappointed, like she has been told a lie

She hands me a bottle of water,

The one I forgot on the counter this morning

She shakes her head like a toddler,

And points her finger as she gives me a warning

I take a large sip and feel the water run down my spine

Dehydration is a pain, but now I am fine

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Lyrical Liquid

3

The Big Thirst

-Christopher Humphery

It seems very funny to me that some things can be so transparent that

even those with the keenest of eyes cannot, or maybe choose not to

stare at it,

As staring is rude.

But we are told, given, and also choose to accept the facts that those

who teach said facts expect us to believe as realities.

Those who can see the silhouette layer of the transparent wall can

see the big thirst that plagues our dying world.

Those who know the inevitable truths, that we are lied to about-and

not the ones that we are told, but the one we must discover for

ourselves-know that blue is a primary color

The color of many things such as the despair we see in the mirror,

the swirling of the somewhat stained blue that travels through our

lines

The divine destruction of this beautiful color

The array of feelings escapes and expands our intellectual being as

humans

Yet we stand back and do nothing about this despair

We stay as our outlets do and sit all day knowing we can stop this

horrid dream

Since we all have the power to take complete control

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Lyrical Liquid

4

Not a Drop to Drink

-Caitlin Mazeau

For the fisherman it means a stage to work on

For the fish a place to call home

For the young privileged kids a place for leisure

And for the thirsty boy a dream beyond compare

But why do we take it for granted?

We dump and poison it

We kill the fish and dump everything

We let boats and oil make us sick

When we get older and our kids are born

What will we drink

When the water's gone?

Going Through the Motions

-Sherri Bersabe

There is water everywhere

But not a drop to spare

We have to save the oceans

Instead of going through the motions

And using water wastefully

We should use it tastefully

By taking shorter showers

And watering the flowers

Only once a week

Wouldn’t that be neat?

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Lyrical Liquid

5

Going by Unnoticed

-Elizabeth Martinez

I would hate to be water

Easily slipping through someone’s fingers

Never having a complete presence

Constantly being taken for granted

Despite my importance

I would hate to be water,

But some days I think the opposite

As you count the raindrops on your window

As you splash your best friend in the waves

As you water those flowers you adore

I would take all the credit for your happiness.

I’d be the reason why someone stays alive

Dehydration, a fire, a fever, a hot day

Could all disperse with water

And for those days I am taken for granted--

I would be reminded once more that I’m not

It’s easy to forget the role water plays

We see it every day, yet never think twice

To remember how much we need it

And I would actually love to be water

Just because of how important it is.

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Lyrical Liquid

6

Forgotten

-Allison Masikip

Blue, white, transparent, reflects light

In many forms, liquid, gas, solid like ice

Ubiquitous as if an iPhone in the modern age

They claim my importance is of natural need

But unlimited and wasteful supply is all they ever greed.

Worries, a factor I can become

Due to my loneliness I’ve decided to run

Away to where I can’t be found

Nothing can track my path not even the greatest hound.

Maybe then they’ll understand my pure intent

Not a mere commodity they can overuse

Hopefully transform this feeling of discontent

By treating me better than the old time blues.

I am water.

Water is It?

Justin Quilatorio

Water is here,

Is there,

Water is pure,

water is a cure,

Water can help all

Water is needed

Water is used

Water is running out.

Water is to be treasured

Because Water can help all

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Lyrical Liquid

7

Blood of this Earth

-Ernesto Parra

Water is life.

Water flows through Earth's arteries

Helps the Earth’s heart beat

Water is beautiful and dangerous.

Children play with water in this nation,

and others dive into watery depths.

While others desperately look for it

Water washes away the land.

Water saves a thirsty man’s life.

Water takes the child’s life.

People scream for the joy of water

While other pray for Tlaloc to fulfill their wishes

The power of the rivers, seas and ocean is dying

A heartbeat slowing down, murdered by the ungrateful souls

Death comes to all, even the most powerful.

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Lyrical Liquid

8

To Dry is to Give Up

-Soyoung Kim

To learn it is full,

I must empty my cup to fill with water,

To over flow is to die,

And to dry it is to give up.

Water so thin,

Water so thick,

Water that’s sick?

Millions of people, all over the world died from water.

No concentration water,

Concentration is less water,

More water is dilution,

Fine concentrated water,

Strong concentrated water

Can be mixed of young age.

To learn it is full,

To overflow is to die,

And to dry it is to give up.

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Lyrical Liquid

9

A Chemistry Problem

-Armando Puente

Molecules of hydrogen and oxygen atoms,

Your qualities, difficult to fathom.

Bonded together, your atoms are like friends

Formed together, a shape polar and bent.

The intermolecular forces that bind you into ice

Apparently the reason behind your open hexagonal lattice.

Cold and crystalized, you have unusually low density

Enough for you to float, with grace and majesty.

Yet your qualities are difficult to fathom.

What makes you sustain life, is it random?

If you are the universal solvent

That forms the solutions to my metabolic events

Then why is your availability

Reducing down to scarcity?

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Lyrical Liquid

10

Water is Always There

-Madeline Wesley

Just as a child clutches their beloved blanket,

a swimmer comforts himself with water.

Hundreds and thousands of gallons of water surround me,

it is what makes me feel safe.

No one can hurt me, no one can catch me.

Water hugs me close and I embrace it.

Water soothes my worries, and clears my mind.

Whether it be the crashing of waves against sand,

as salty water sits on the edge of my lips,

and reminds me of carefree summer days.

Or the smell of chlorine saturating my skin,

as divers slip soundlessly into the pool.

Water creates memories.

Through any season of the year,

water is always there.

In gallons, cups or tears

water is always there.

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Lyrical Liquid

11

Like Water

-Jaena-Mae Caguiat

Forever inscribed into the paper,

“like water, beautiful, mysterious, and essential.”

Words which shall not perish in our lifetime.

The words you utter, flow from your mouth.

Your thoughts are like water.

Beautiful, mysterious, and essential.

Each thought like a raindrop from heaven,

continuing to leak into my mind, invisibly leaving its mark.

You’re like a storm.

Mysterious and sometimes beautiful.

One moment, calm as the sea

the next, raging into a hurricane.

You’re like water, essential

to help me see the rainbow

in tomorrow’s sunshine.

I love you like a waterfall.

Not a wild uncontrollable tide,

but like a brook, cascading across a slope,

continuously

falling

every

second,

deeper

and

deeper.

But this love has become heavy upon my shoulders

Has this relationship become

half empty or half full?

The absolute weight doesn't matter, because

like water, you’re beautiful, mysterious, and essential.

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Lyrical Liquid

12

Hidden

-Jonathan Estaris

Pouring, drinking, spilling,

Missing, seeking, wishing

780 million people cannot taste

What a million people waste

Water

Two-faced and misplaced

Clean, copious, forgotten,

Absent, scarce, rotten

Sip, gulp, drink, think

What can you do?

For a person, a family, a country

With a glass not half full, but full empty

Abused, misused, and disease-ridden

The essential substance of life, mistakenly hidden.

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Lyrical Liquid

13

A Puny Request

-Reece Akana

When the world runs low on water, water you going to do?

Make shore you take quick showers, and leave your sink off too.

When seas rise and glaciers melt, you will sea droughts soar.

So don’t be shellfish. Never pour your liquids on the floor.

Plenty of people and animals are suffering in need.

Don’t think “oh whale.” Conserve your water every day and read

the news about the countries, who fish upon a star

for easy access to clean water close, not afar.

Tithing

-Caleb Evangelista

What is given to us, often we should give back

In one form of another

Water is a free product, untouched by the hand of man

But it is sold as if it were something simply created

Money isn’t sold, it’s used and reused

It is given as a gift and it’s used to buy gifts

Money makes the world work in place

Water however is a treasure that many can’t understand

or see its clarity unlike those who truly have that eye

It’s a necessity that makes money feel worthless

Water is what makes the World

live its life and we see more of it, more often than other things

Time and again, it is those that have that eye,

that aren’t able to have water.

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Lyrical Liquid

14

Purification

-Ismail Qadi

In arid lands, with parched ground, and empty skies,

Pestilence, death and decay, a sickly dance.

Even the stone-skinned Gargoyle cracks and dies.

The desiccated air signals Death's advance

His death grip asphyxiates the very land

And as all of life suffocates in the heat,

There comes the Resurgence.

An emergence,

Indeed.

Of healing rains,

and Death begins to recede.

Of tidal waves.

And as the world becomes lush and revives

Death recoils, injured, and bleeds

He crumples, turns to ash, and Death dies.

On the Death's doorstep,

When life begins to ebb,

When one cannot care for oneself

Is it not the responsibility of those who can,

to help?

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Lyrical Liquid

15

Leaking

-Keanu Horcasitas

Drip drop went the kitchen faucet

Let me go flush the upstairs toilet.

We use so much, while we assume

It will always be there, and just consume.

We are in for a surprise

Our magic well eventually dries.

Although it seems it's all available,

Only about two percent is drinkable.

Some is frozen in arctic glaciers,

Some underground, some in rivers.

But what is important to know:

is that demand is high, supply is low.

Fresh water is not available everywhere

It's here for you so you may not care.

In other parts of the world,

To get water, people had to think bold.

We all know, that water keeps ships afloat

Did you also know, it's been shipped on a boat?

The oceans are full of water, miles deep

But fresh water will not stay cheap.

We thirst for water, it's essential to survive

But we over use, wasting so much at a time.

Drip drop goes the kitchen faucet

Let me go flush the upstairs toilet.

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Lyrical Liquid

16

Water in Africa

-Ryan Navarro

It seems like everyone has clean access to water.

But parents in Africa need it for their toddlers.

The people over there travel several miles.

In order to get resources from the Nile.

Africans live their lives always felling hurt.

Especially for those who live in the Sahara desert.

Some go without months not having any contact.

While their bodies try to survive the drought impact.

American society takes the small things from granted.

They use gallons of water for plants already planted.

To wash their car, they use the entire Ohio River.

Ever their pets’ ponds full to get rid of their shivers.

The people in Africa will always be deprived.

People over there need in order to survive,

The citizens of this nation need to be much smarter.

So others around could have the same access to water.

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Lyrical Liquid

17

Mother Earth’s Satin Blue Dress

-Karla Mendoza

She covers my body in a silky, blue dress,

Exposing only my most superficial beauty

The rippling waves of her most elegant satin folds brush against my

skin,

Providing refreshing moisture, granting life to my dehydrated skin

cells

The cells love her. The cells need her.

They pull apart the silk filaments, one at a time, to nourish the others

The dress remains stunning as ever.

Time’s unrelenting hands spin around and around,

And my previously flawless skin becomes marked by age

The cells have grown used to the presence of her blue beauty

As if it was theirs forever.

I love the cells. The cells need her.

They continue pulling apart my dress to grow and develop,

But my skin is aging.

My dress is thin and torn.

The cells are no longer part of me.

I am spirit in essence and, like the cells, I need the dress to live,

To return to my natural balance in life

The cells have changed my skin, their world, to serve them, rather

than me

Their intelligent manipulation of their genetic code can give me a

dimple or incite goose bumps,

Change my skin color or generate thumbs where I had toes,

But they cannot sense that together they are one,

And that in isolation they are destroying each other and me.

The dress is gone.

It has been transformed into a series of filaments

Running all over their skin

To more efficiently provide its nourishing moisture

And beauty to more cells, at least in their opinion.

The skin once embraced by the elegant satin dress lies arid,

Approaching death, like me.

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Lyrical Liquid

18

And time’s merciless hands seem apathetic towards the cells’ abuse

of themselves;

They continue spinning.

Necessity

-Kristian Carreon

What is water?

It’s a necessity for life

We drink it, bathe in it,

And clean our clothing with it

We use it as if it were oxygen

Free and unlimited

We don’t realize the truth

Until the suffering of the less fortunate becomes our suffering

Until we have to walk miles to find water

Instead of twisting a knob for that so-called unlimited water

Until we drink water riddled with nasty things

Because we have no choice

This is what water is:

A necessity that we should not take for granted

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Lyrical Liquid

19

Aqua

-Rubelyn Radoc

Can you be any more valuable than you already are?

On the verge of scarcity

Now you are almost gone.

Saving you from the abuse of others’ selfishness

Even when they’re desperate for you.

Reserving every last drop of life you offer.

Very magnificent and powerful are your contributions.

Everybody wants to consume you because of your lively ways.

Wherever you go, everybody follows.

As much as other people want you, you’re taken advantage of.

The quenching thirst for your company is real.

Evidently, your importance is understated by many.

Revitalizing those who need your aid. Replenishing those who need

your life. Reserving you is more important than abusing you. So let’s

raise awareness.

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Lyrical Liquid

20

The Way You Make Me Feel

-Isoleil Montalvo

Your blue eyes

Your deep curves

Your wavy features

Your cool touch

Your soft embrace

I love you, Water

Springs of Hope

-Bien Gorospe

As night falls, droplets hinder

The clear aquamarine scent it gives off is gone

When the equinox falls, all hope may seem unreachable

The little bodies have suffered to a point that their skeletons have

been engraved like keys

We seek nutrients and minerals that will make us everlasting

Tears are saved as it may seem

Overflowing of noises brings joyful news

A source for life and brightness has been marked

Flocks of families strive toward this destiny of sorts

Hearts are blood deepened to the point of no return

Hordes are finally satisfied by the richness of the water

The benefits it holds has completed its way toward every body

Value is important in these hard times

Water in its every form has once again prevailed

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Lyrical Liquid

21

The World Cries Because You’re So Inept

-Jessica Sandoval

It takes four minutes for a faucet to run

and waste four thousand gallons a day.

Unnoticed, it takes four gallons of water

to brush your teeth.

It takes thirty minutes for a leaky faucet

to waste eighty gallons per month

to waste one thousand gallons per year

you don’t even like the sound it makes--

turn it off.

People in countries less fortunate

live on three gallons a day

We use that much, what is “necessary”,

to flush a toilet?

More than one half of our planet

lacks clean, drinking water

while one-third of the potable water

in our homes

is used to wash dinner off plates

or bathe away dirt.

It takes fifty years

for Americans to use

one hundred and twenty-seven percent

more water than they used to.

It takes one second

to wring the faucet

and shut it off.

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Lyrical Liquid

22

Water Will Forever Keep Flowing

-Erica Hornbuckle

Water flows through life

sometimes it creates, sometimes it destroys.

Water is so majestic,

the way it rumbles and flows

The crystalline reflection of the sun

is always hypnotizing.

Just watching the waves

as they are rising

The flow of this mysterious element

is so amazing

The flow of this element

is so powerful and so breathtaking

It’s funny how we can waste water like nothing.

But we must always remember

that water is something

It’s that thing that gives us life,

it’s that thing that keeps us going.

It’s that thing that keeps us alive

water will forever keep flowing.

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Lyrical Liquid

23

Whispered Concerns

-Ali Warren

Is that what you call the tears rolling down my face?

Is it the epitome of our agony because we take it for granted?

“It” being the body of water that gives us the choice of drowning or

replenishing all the things that have been sucked dry in our lives.

Are we drowning?

In this incessant greed that has consumed our world, do we simply

bleed green and see dollar signs instead of embracing the blueness of

the skies

That stands to be the vivid reflection of the ocean itself

We’re miserable and we wonder why, is it because we can’t appreci-

ate?

Are we incapable of seeing how blessed we are as a nation, or do we

just choose not to see it….

Do you even take a second look to evaluate that reflection you see

when you look into that mirror?

To dissect past the peripheral layers of our very being

Do we water each other’s dreams?

Do we promote growth?

Do we even walk the talk or all we all just hypocrites, self-absorbed

in our own world?

Soaking in our insecurities, our desires and lack of perspective like

sponges

If we can’t see the big picture, do we really see anything at all?

We’re vulnerable to fall

When we compromise who we are we fail to stand tall

Don’t lose the essence of who you are, trying to fix your own scars,

trying to match society’s bar of expectation

Create your own success, be your own personal version of the “best”,

embrace the journey

And watch your goals come into fruition

All your hopes and dreams coming fast at you like a waterfall

Showering on you, only more than you thought it could ever be

Bringing life and restoration something that only water could do

Only to find that the water was within you the whole time

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24

A World without Water

-Arella Sidransky

What would the world be like without water?

A world that would no longer show the color blue from an aerial

view,

A world that would lose its number one vital source for survival,

A barren wasteland lacking the element that unites all of the living

creatures,

An area of pure emptiness.

Would it be even considered planet Earth anymore?

Would life cease to exist?

Surely, our existence would never be the same again.

No more relaxing 30 minute showers, soaking in the hot, steamy

water.

No more water-balloon fights on those hot mid-summer days.

No more summer camp field-trips to the water park.

No more calming night-dips in the family Jacuzzi on a cold winter

night.

No more wedding proposals at the Niagara Falls.

No more adventurous white water rafting excursions.

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25

Simply Water

-Shanice Lang

Drip drop, splish splash,

Dip dop, plip plop,

Whirls of blue, in rings and spots,

Cool on flesh, and the scent of fresh,

What’s that?

No need to ask,

it’s just water.

Only water?

Simply. Water.

But what’s so simple about this source of life?

Or its shortage in distant, suffering lands

Of dried communities with dying desperateness?

Or its supposed use in sleepless cities

with sealed plastics and silly wastes?

Where’s the simplicity?

In its causing of death in the places alack?

In its abuse here at home, with the hour shower?

So problematic, over so simple a thing.

Question after question like a curious cat,

But none yet answered even with that,

So simple a claim,

It’s just water,

Only water.

Now here's the test,

Is it simply, water?

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A Water-Filled World

-Jesser Sison

Gushing through a narrow canal, bustling with energy

A young girl climbs aboard her float while playing at the beach.

Streaming out of a large container, plants becoming spongy

The rain quiets as an old man bites into a peach.

Flowing through various pipes, pouring out into the open air

A shark swims afar with its speed unaffected by a leech.

Blasting into a sea of rocks, minerals flying everywhere

The swimmer leaps to get the ball within reach.

Dripping down from the sanctified, illuminated cross

A warm sandstorm blazes and forms a loud screech.

Dissolving into the ground, appearing to be lost

The world is scorched, its land bleached

As the sun turns to black and the sands continue to rage

Our tears are trapped within an underground cage.

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Submerged

-Mia Shahbazi

Gleaming river, black and silver

Where have my ripples gone?

The compelling susurrus of the stream

Shall silence those who come.

Drop, drop, drop –

A mirror void of preconceptions

With every stranger leaning to glance,

At the trickles of truth in their reflection

If the moonlight’s beauty ceased to shine

Perhaps then they could see

Trapped beneath the surface

Is where they ought not to be

In me has drowned a young girl.

Who disrupts the heavy languor?

Through shrieking ripples and sinking paper boats

For she can no longer stay under.

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Deep Friendship

-Grecia Esquivel

Friendship is like water

It can be weak or strong

It is deep in meaning

It is clear and clean

Water is needed by the seas and oceans

Just like how we need friends in our lives

The moon is just above the ocean

As I stand at the water’s edge

The warm sand packed between my toes.

I look out as far as I can to enjoy the starry view

Reminds me of all the times we spent together

Those memories endless; like the sea

I try not to miss you

But the ocean was your favorite place

And every time that I am here my thoughts

Go running back to you

Now that you are gone, the waves are all that I have left

Looking up to the starry night I can honestly say

That you were a big part of my life

And one day, I will see you once again

In heaven, where you are looking out for me

Endlessly surfing, like you always were

But know I only have the ocean to keep me company

And relive your memory

I wish you hadn’t died but for now

Goodbye my friend, my “sister.”

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A Priceless Substance

-Brianna Sanchez

Clear, Blue, Pure

At the beach, in a bottle,

At the pool, in the clouds

On the pavement after a rainy day

A resource never outdated

A substance never hated

The shine it shares just like a diamond

Used for cleanliness, hydration, and purification

Water

What we have at our fingertips

The resource we take for granted

But to others it is priceless

Water

Pure, Clear, Blue.

We Have to Have It

-Katherine Ross

Water is life.

No taste, no smell, no color

Yet still valuable and essential

Used for cooking, used for bathing

Used for drinking, used for planting

Without water, all things living would be dead.

Water is the most ital liquid of liquids.

Water makes things grow.

Water creates rainbows.

Water is within our every being.

No water, no life.

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Reason to End this Crisis

-Andrew Chavez

Let’s try to picture something,

I’m going to give hints and let’s see if you can figure out what it is.

The thing I’m thinking of is essential,

It is the very reason we are here.

What has helped countless organisms lived

what can also be the death to others.

Some need it to live, others live in it.

If you haven't guessed already,

The thing I’m talking about is water.

Look around, left, right, up, down

I’m sure in one of those directions,

You can easily get clean water.

Turn on a faucet

Think of what you see,

Think of what you smell,

Think of what you hear,

Think of what you smell,

Think of what you feel.

Now imagine a world without this luxury

No clean water at your disposal

No way to hydrate yourself.

While you sit at home

with a seemingly endless supply of it

this very necessary part of life is running low.

Not in another universe,

nor galaxy,

nor solar system,

nor world.

On this very planet, some have no way to get water.

some die of thirst, others bacteria,

but either way people are dying.

We must find a solution, must find a way,

find a reason to end this crisis.

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Connection to Water

-Jacob Calabrese

It lacks sanitation

This needs to be improved

It needs restoration

Without it we’re doomed

It covers the earth

But still many thirst

If not considered of worth

We progress the worst

It is taken for granted

What little we can drink

It needs to be acquainted

With us so we think

So if water is not examined

With more than the eye,

We‘ll all be dehydrated

too dry to even cry

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I, Sea Beauty

-Alex Maravillas

The Beauty of the Sea, triggers motion.

The splendor that Dolphins create glisten.

Jellyfishes swim through the vast ocean.

The bubbling music, you must listen.

Marine creatures beneath the ocean floor

deep down mysterious fishes to find.

Sea turtle babies end up at the shore.

Ocean creatures of all different kinds.

But the creatures of the ocean suffer.

Man, the Parasite, sucks away, no trace.

O, the mighty Neptune, how he cowers.

Plastic demons, oil monsters replace.

Please preserve the Beauty of the ocean.

The Beauty of the Sea, triggers motion.

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Don’t Ask Me about Global Warming

-Jerica Nimidez

Honestly, I’m only doing this for my graduation,

But if you put a shell to your ear you’ll hear the ocean

Where our great ancestors supposedly roamed,

And with such depths unknown

Maybe it’s true that mermaids do exist

I’ll find out when I’m philanthropic and rich.

Maybe someday I could fund the cure for cancer

Or solve this huge issue on conserving water.

The science isn’t always clear about how it all started

But let’s say we knew how that particular story ended:

Once upon a time the world was set ablaze

With nature’s tears her eyes glazed

Over the ice that would eventually grow thin

From the Sun’s light that would soon dim.

Then the entire planet fell under the greatest risk--

Still, there underneath the beauty of aurora borealis

Were hopeful never-ending sheets of white

And rarely a distinction between day and night.

The poles Meryl Streep said, “None are as majestic”

In a documentary titled “To the Arctic.”

It had polar bears pull at your heart strings

A feat feathered by Paul McCartney’s guitar strings.

I will admit that my emotions did stir

Convincing me I could do something for sure.

Okay, so I’ve decided to let the yellow mellow

And maybe shower with another fellow?

Why do I even care if I’m made up of 60% water?

I’ll just drink another bottle if it gets hotter.

Water already makes up about 70% of Earth anyway.

The waves dance prettily in oceans and bays.

These were scenes Winslow Homer just wanted to paint

But, unfortunately, not everyone can be a saint.

What do you think a water drop even does?

Ah, so it follows a cycle and makes mud.

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Do we really need any more televised invocations

To know this is the world’s greatest public diversion?

All they asked was to conserve a little

Political parties aside this isn’t a difficult riddle.

What do you want? What do you need?

Sustaining life should easily be the first priority.

Whoever told you that you have got talent

Knew you were bigger than your wallet.

You can donate blood every month and call it love

Knowing that soon every drop will be enough.

Need

-Abram Aceves

We can trace her to our roots, she gave life

To us, yet she is out of reach for some-

Wasted on those who care not for others.

Why does she slip from their hands? Why? Why?

She is a tease, insidious, poisons

Children even, looking for life in wells

Full of tears, polluted tears that take life.

When will we assist those most in dire?

We must do more and use less, to conserve

That which we are running out of, clean life,

The clean giver of life which we value.

The clean giver of life which we need.

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Relative Understandings

-Isaac Gonzalez Sanabria

A child now is in want of that;

That which will kill the end to her

Desire to be thirsty, and worried, and

At her current state of walking

Several kilometers to the hole

Where anguish is confirmed; and

Thirst is quelled for some fat minute;

The state she finds her family in.

For years the mother defended,

For her child to leave her fears where they began,

To live a world where love carried,

The tones of sympathy in accordance to

The individual power of reality.

She was instructed to pray for those;

Those in fewer positions than her own,

To feel regret and pain in regards

To the people who found their water,

At 10 kilometers away.

Her mother then advised her,

To be humble and appreciative at only

Walking, 2 kilometers a day.

“Something only the richest souls

In our world could achieve.”

Grace and thankfulness overtook the girl.

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Seasons

-Sol Narvaez Cowardin

April showers bring May showers

Everything in bloom,

Red roses grow for love to show

And make their lovers swoon.

The leaves turn green,

The sun still beams,

The thunderstorms roll in.

The clouds are gray,

The sun still stays,

Hot rain on summer days.

The wind starts blowing,

Cold days start showing,

The cuddling begins.

The leaves bright lights,

The pretty sight,

The fog around your knees.

The gloom comes in,

The chimneys sing,

The smoke rising into the sky.

The silent snow,

Drifts down real slow,

Onto the hard cold floor.

Blanketing the world outside,

The frost cold on your nose.

The winter snow begins to melt,

But it will be back soon.

The rain will come,

Bringing back the sun,

And let the flowers bloom.

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Their Shoes

-Abigail Carreon

A child, walks to a well over four miles with his

mother for the water that they will use for the day.

The mother, who knows the water they are going to

get is possibly filled with bacterium, goes for the sake

of their lives, because she wants the best for her family.

Each day, this cycle of walking back and forth from their

house to the well prevents them from doing anything else.

He could be going to school and receive and education or

working for an income that will fight off starvation. But no.

He walks back and forth, back and forth, for a supply that

won’t last for more than a day. He gets tired, gains countless

blisters and bruises from carrying the load. But he’s okay with it.

Each step means another drop, another sip, another chance at life.

They don’t complain. They have no other choice.

They can’t run to a faucet for the water to cook their meal,

Or go to the store for 10-pack. They work for water they need

And use only what they need, when they need it.

They don’t leave the water running when they brush their teeth.

They don’t take 30 minute to an hour showers.

They don’t throw trash down the storm drains, and would do so

Even if they could.

Why?

Because they know the meaning of water.

They know the importance of each gallon, each cup, each drop.

They know that they can’t live without it.

They know because they have to survive with so little of it.

But what do we do?

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We leave the water running. We take endless showers.

We allow people to dump chemicals and trash into our water

sources.

We rather pay obscene amounts of money for bottled water. We play

in it.

We play with it. For what? Because we enjoy it? Why? Because we

can?

No. We do it because we never had to live a day in that child and

mother’s shoes.

Green Apple Jacks

-Jeremiah Deinla

Water makes us all ponder

When it’s gone we won’t last long

And we also will wonder.

What happened to our sweet, sweet water?

As essential as air

It’s found everywhere.

It is really a fluid that is ubiquitous

Nothing can fully describe how important this liquid is

Supporter of nearly all life on earth

Opponents of this blessing don’t realize its worth.

A bowl of fruit supporting life

Truly one of a kind, no other resource alike

A bowl of fruit supporting life

Underrated, undervalued, underpriced.

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It’s Water

-Lori Lopez

It’s in the air, floating about,

It fills our lungs and our being,

It has its own code, unbreakable when cold, yet fluid when not

It caresses children’s skin and demolishes monoliths

It’s nearly as old as Mother Nature herself - it is her child

She entrusts it to us

The dead to the living; the living to the dead

We are homes and caretakers

As a parent to a defenseless child

We must protect it. We must.

This origin of life and bringer of death.

It is what bonds and breaks

To ensure the future it determines the stakes -

The stakes of the measures we must take.

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The Waves

-Kyle Doria

“It progresses and recedes

seemingly without cause

without purpose.

The Waves soothe and scald,

yet still we stand defiantly

on the shore like fools.

The greater fool, however

is the one who sees a pattern in

The Waves.

The one who believes them to be

like simple dominoes.

One causes the other to fall,

each has its purpose in the grander scheme.

The Great Plan, the Absolute Design,

this is the stuff of petty fiction

And even pettier mysticism

Every wave is an individual that

must be considered on singular terms,

if it is to be considered at all

Most, sadly, are bereft of meaning.”

Yes, this is what I told you,

I believe I was being quite profound.

Touching, how we fail in spite of ourselves.

Perhaps I was trying to soften,

to reconcile- or worse – to restore

That is not what I meant

Not at all, as Prufrock would say.

Despite what you believed,

the only thing I had in common with him

is that the mermaids in the deep

Do not sing for me either,

but that does not diminish their significance

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Not at all.

“I’m being too personal.

Embarrassing,

especially here “

One can watch the sea and believe The Waves

to be that terrible Leviathan, which grows so large

as to swallow the whole world.

One can believe the ocean to be

the cleanser, the healer, the forgiver,

a sunken god that will wash away all the grit and grime.

One can even count the waves as they crash about him

And judge each one exclusively so that he can

ignore the growing flood.

That doesn’t change the fact that he’ll always be a

fool standing insolently at the edge of an ocean,

and no matter how far he steps back,

through those hollow iron bars

(Yes, you know the place)

there is always that small speck of blue,

and he’ll be damned if it doesn’t mean something.

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A Sink Left Forgotten

-Kristine Tolentino

Water slowly inches out,

Disappearing the moment it falls

Down a sink left forgotten.

We are no more conscious of the droplets

Than we are the sound of a turning knob.

Why should we be?

The droplets always replenish,

As if controlled by a law of physics,

The same force that makes the sun rise

and dictates the speed of light.

But before anyone realizes,

The drops add up to an ocean

With some unknown purpose,

Down the vacuum of our kitchen sink.

Our generation is constantly taught

Not to take each other for granted,

To assist the poor and abandoned,

To treasure every bit of our planet

Because we only have one.

And yet our actions muddle our words.

Their meanings are distorted

To allow exceptions. To cut corners

Because the "right thing" is too difficult.

Our laziness overrides the godly values

Embraced in theory but not in practice.

By no means am I the exception.

I too ignore the dripping faucet and forget

That the droplets are not endless,

That one day the water may not replenish,

That one day we will seem foolish

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For being the generation that dwindled

Valuable resources. And that one day we will

Wish we had conserved every last drop.

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It’s Time to Make a Change

-Loren Fernandez

There was one day when I went to school,

three or four kids came into my AP Art History class.

They talked about water. I didn’t bother

to pay attention, though.

Don’t get me wrong, I care about

the fact that I take things for granted.

Things that others wish they could have, but I don’t feel humbled

I feel selfish.

I try not to imagine what’d it’d be like

to live without a mother,

without somebody to come to and

tell her that I love her,

so I try to do my part.

Turn the faucet off when I see it running

The way I see it, we’ve all got to do something, whether it’s

raising money or building a well in Africa.

Because Earth is a place that we’ve got to protect and look after

Because at the end of the day,

who cares who was more money?

If you were to see the gruesome pictures

Of people dying, it wouldn’t be funny.

The fact that we sit here, and just go about our day

like nothing’s happening is that part that hurts the most.

If I were the kid who desperately needed an

89 cent gallon of water,

I would sure as hell want someone to bother to at least

Try to help someone in my kind of situation.

People are dying. And I feel like such a hypocrite.

If I were to stand

Face to Face, with the kid I didn’t help, would I be able to say to

him,

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“I did nothing”

And you know what? I can’t really compel you

To give a little money,

for the sake of helping others.

But just look at the little girl or boy who is

dying

of thirst and hunger, and just try to imagine if that were your sister or

your brother.

Contribute.

You Don’t Know Water

-Renato Lopez

Water is extremely significant

It’s life for human, animal or plant

Some don’t see it, but water is running out

And we will soon be in a drought

We waste water as if it were invisible

So use it less or make it reusable

You have no idea how much is wasted in a flush

And if you knew it’d only make you blush

Water bottles aren’t that great, and are expensive

So to save water listen up and be attentive

Use tap water because it’s good and cheaper

And little by little you will get richer

So help save the water before I act eager.

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What’s Going On?

-Dante Alvarado-Leon

What’s going on?

Clouds of sulfur decorating the finish line of the Boston Marathon,

People screaming.

Sirens playing a dissonant and redundant harmony,

Sorrow and painfulness, growing in the streets of Boston.

Vigilance spreads across America.

What’s going on?

That horrifying day at Sandy Hook Elementary,

Drops of sadness, terror, and fear inundated the world.

Children shrieking, parents infected with panic, and courageous

teachers.

All characters in an unending, yet tragic story.

Trepidation spreads across America.

I shut my eyes in contemplation,

What’s going on?

A flashback takes me back to December 7, 1941

“A Date which will live in Infamy”

The stealthy bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Vigilance and trepidation both spread across America.

Yet,

There is Hope.

An intense and dazzling beam shining at the end of a dark hallway,

The conviction that the future will resolve all our quandaries.

Unity is clothing all of our nation

As Mary holds the mutilated body of her crucified son,

As a group of ants labors during spring time.

I wake up from this terrible dream,

Come to the realization,

That the world is not ending, it is changing.

We are a different generation,

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Facing many altercations,

Water is running out

Violence is devouring lives

Climate change is roasting our world.

We are stronger, bolder, and courageous,

An immense pile of brilliant minds and hands,

Ready to lead this nation into acclamation.

No more Water,

We say recycle wastewater.

No more Violence,

We fight for Gun Control measures.

No more Global Warming,

We say no more Starving,

It is time to begin performing.

We look for answers, not questions,

We find solutions, not problems.

Consciousness,

Pair of binoculars we all possess,

Allows us to see the distant tribulations

that trouble our nation.

We respond and raise awareness,

Like a flashlight that illuminates a dark alley.

We are a wonderful creation,

Filled with dreams and aspirations.

So, What’s going on?

A peaceful chaos,

A metamorphosis,

Not, a monstrous vermin though,

But a transition.

My Generation is ready to take command,

We spread hope, unity, and consciousness across America.

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The Importance of Water

-Lucero Garcia

Without water

The warmth you feel on your back that cold Monday morning,

Your cup of coffee,

The steam that radiates off your warm meal,

And a cup of tea

Would no longer exist.

Without water

There would be no tears,

No home for fish

Or water balloon fights that hot summer day.

Water is a key component

To this place called Earth.

It is the reason we live

And we should learn how to take care of it.

The Glass of Water Cries

-Andres Mendoza

In the distance the cacophony of an old and tired

engine approaches; an anxious dog emerges from its sleep.

The chilling October wind rattles the fence and the old

oak tree shakes its branches and drops its leaves clumsily.

A quick grasp of the muzzle and the crying clouds of gray

drag the pair in the dark house with slowness and fatigue.

Entering the frozen house, the old man pours a glass of cold

water and sits on a hard and garish armchair to finally rest.

The weary dog curls up at the feet of the adjacent white

armchair, and the old man reaches to turn on the lamp light.

As they slowly cease to breath, they slowly start to dream,

While on the side table, the glass of water cries.

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Water through Eyes of Literary Merit

-Nathan Gregory

To be or not to be Water gives life thee’

For without, I am an invisible man.

Young yet old this fertile element ceased to grow,

After the stars and moons no longer did stow.

However, wherever, you choose to be

Water is guaranteed to be alive within thee.’

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day,

Is something none another than a cave dweller’d say.

To question its power, worth, value,

Is to look at a snake without caution, concern, or understanding.

Flowing as the crow flies with a voice of mockery,

A mockingbird; justice for thee without appreciation.

That in which we do not know, throughout history continues to

show;

That in which we cannot contain, should not be tamed.

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A Thirsty Planet

-Ashley Masa

Water is essential to life,

In Third-World countries there is strife.

Although it is abundant here,

In years to come, it may disappear.

Be conscious of this; the future is near

Water we must conserve

And life we will preserve.

We live in a thirsty planet; we should treat it like home

Respect, reserve, and preserve.

Charles Fishman, he wrote The Big Thirst

For water’s fate is truly at its worst.

Indian children do not learn,

Water they carry is what they yearn.

Children are dying their water is not clean,

Those who have nothing deserve to redeem

Their resources, health, and prosperity.

We live in a thirsty planet; we should treat it like home

Respect, reserve, and preserve.

Recycle, reuse, and be conscious of how it is used.

Water is a valuable asset; it is true.

We live in a thirsty planet; we should treat it like home

Respect, reserve, and preserve.

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Conserve, Protect, Recycle

-Olivia A. Torres

Water

You are free

You are bold

Like the Persian sands of time

so does water hold Earth’s time.

Our time is running out

A time of ignorance, joy and carefree spirits

Now someday will ravage for water, walk for water

Thirst for water, find no water

Despair you shall not for you can be saved

Conserve, protect, recycle

This is what we must do.

Waste less we must, abuse not we must, use again we must

No harm shall come to thee water,

no danger shall await those who care

Who might perhaps hear your cry for help.

Conserve, protect, recycle

This we must do.

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The Cycle of Life

-Jennyfer Cisnado

There is a stream that flows steady and alone,

A stream that travels from mountains to shores

While in its path leaving earth in conception,

And through centuries gave life to its floors.

All grown the stream had turned into a river,

Fed by the erosion and the passing of time,

Men attracted and needy of this silver giver,

Found the river who offered them shrine.

Once a deity to man, now a common server,

But strongly did it serve the travelling men,

Giving life and movement as a life preserver,

Giving chance to a growing civilization of men.

But the river now old, began to grow exhaust,

Not having the strength to keep his action

Made the earth dry and the town as lost,

And men came and went in evanescent fashion.

Forgotten again with ghosts of the past,

Life and death leaving its mark on earth

The river perishes all drops to the last,

With it, all the life it had once brought forth.

But a woman prays for the coming rain.

For when such a river could rise again.

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From Sea to Shore

-Sydnie Tamayo

Can’t catch my breath so I breathe underwater,

Absent from comments of others too clever.

The silence of the sea whispers, “We’ve got her.”

So maybe I’d like to stay here forever

It’s the chill of my frame as I lay on the surface,

Or perhaps it’s the sound of sand moving on,

Which brings peace to any nameless purpose

And sways me to stay for the imminent dawn.

But as the waves know what is truly best

Do they push me to the heartrending shore.

For I always knew, and one could have guessed,

Time won’t stop for what I adore nor abhor.

But if I come back from where I have drifted

At once I’ll remember of what I was gifted.

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Wet Intimacy

-Elvin Obellos

Hey Water!

It’s been years since we first met,

When I came out of the womb, remember? I bet.

You’ve been the first to wash me you see,

Honestly, you’re the first to touch me intimately!

I see you in the morning, afternoon, and night,

All day in fact.

You’re in me, around me, under me,

Keeping the world intact.

Oooooh baby water,

You ease me when it gets hotter!

When you think about it, you’re everywhere.

From the toilet to my mouth,

From the North to the South,

When I grub at In-N-Out!

When I’m thirsty, you ease me.

When I’m in a Jacuzzi, you please me.

You make rivers flow,

My hearts go,

Plants grow,

Oh geez, you already know!

Although there is an abundance of water here,

Some are not as lucky I fear.

Millions without water?!?

Ohh, crimedy! It makes me wonder…

How can they live without this necessity!

While we live here in such luxury…

It makes you think what is really important,

To stop complaining about little things because it just isn’t worth it.

Compared to how others suffer,

We shouldn’t complain about not having dessert for supper.

I cherish you dearly, my beloved water.

Because there is no one else like you, there is no other.

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Wrong Water

-Michael Bregg

Water is made of two

hydrogens and an oxygen.

Why do we care so much

about this, because hydrogen

is the most abundant element

in the universe? We have all

the things for water and

water itself, it’s just that

it’s never in the right place

at the right time. That, and

most of the water on the face of the Earth is undrinkable.

We should fix this.

Contained

-Blessie Mayo

Waves go in,

Waves go out.

Water pushes them throughout.

Crashing on the rocks,

White foam arises;

People look and stare at all of its many surprises.

Sandy and salty

It’s bitter to the mouth.

But don’t be fooled by its thunderous clout.

Simple and straightforward the bond is easily retained,

However its power can still not be contained.

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Water Cries

-Nicholas Paul

Drip, drip, drip

It’s the sound of water wasted

To us it has no taste on the lip

But to others it’s the sweetest thing they've ever tasted

Here, we claim that our water “is to hot or too cold.”

It tastes funny, out of the park fountain!

While there, kids of only 5 years old

begin their trek to the rusty old well upon a mountain

Here, I propose a change to our wasteful mentality

For the screams of wasted water have never been so loud

Death does not judge on nationality

for people all across the world are praying for just one cloud

With a cloud comes hope; the water supply for tomorrow

Let the water continue to drip, while the children drown in their

sorrow

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Water to Me You Are Everything

-Valerie Garcia

You shimmer, you sparkle, and you shine on my day

Yet I sometimes wonder where you sometimes stay.

All around me I see you. You are a part of my life.

I wonder if you more important than my wife.

I need you so dearly,

I must have you right now and am glad I have you so nearly.

Your feel against my skin is something amazing

You leave me so dazing.

I drink you every day.

It just has to be that way.

With you I survive so I can live longer

And then become stronger.

It’s sad that many don’t appreciate you

After all you are blue.

It seems that they don’t know that one drop

Can make a difference in this world where we stop.

So why not change and make it stay?

If we all help it can last us another day.

After all water is life and life is us.

It makes us who we are and is just a must.

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Blue Treasure

-Alonzo Garcia

This feeling of dryness I experience as it slowly runs down my

throat,

This blue treasure I have earned, that I only heard of in my bedtime

before.

It is said it had once ruled the world, with a fierce and mighty roar,

Yet, like a slave to its owner, it followed orders every day, more and

more.

What could have gone wrong?

Where have you gone?

Blue Treasure, in your abundance, why do I only know you in a

song?

Your presence lost, alongside a bigger cost.

Taken advantage of without a care.

Blue Treasure, this isn’t fair,

Put aside your ego, and let me share.

Wonderful Water

-Harriet Halog

Water, water, water

Water all around:

Drinking water, washing water, displaying water,

Technological water, cooling water, warming water,

Comfortable water, survival water…

Water on the ground

Water in the clouds

Water, water, water

CONSERVE

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An Ode to the Disappearing Act

-Zoya Kakar

Drip, drop the snakes run down the window pane

Clear yet colored, swift. Merging with others

Running, creating pictures in my brain

Swirls and blurs, meeting like unknown lovers.

Hot and dry, cruel sun beating on my face

So harsh that my fair skin cries, tears all over

Dripping down my face, running like a race,

A river with the smell of sweet clover.

Dead and lifeless, lackluster and rotting.

Instead of vibrant hues patches of dark.

It is also what brings the fun to yachting

That gives a simple flower its live spark.

How is it that a substance so pure, clear

Can be so mystical and disappear.

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Stop the Clock, Save the Drop

-Katrina Moselina

Without water, everything turns into nothing

Like a leaking pipe that no one notices

Life begins to drain away.

But how long will it take for anyone to realize

Seconds,

Minutes,

Hours,

Years?

Drop after drop

Time goes by and the clock doesn’t stop.

It shouldn’t take a drought or a flood

Or the suffering of millions of people

To take action.

To appreciate what we have.

To recognize that water is life.

And to recognize that if water is gone,

What would be considered of our existence?

The answer will be nothing.

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Phases

-Erica Mershon

As I lay in bed

The rain comes down

Plays me a little song

The water dots

Melodic drops

That sing me straight to sleep.

With the rain comes sleet

A louder sound

Yet still a steady beat.

They all play me that little song

That sings me straight to sleep.

Outside the weather turns cold

The snow blankets the world

This water silent

Quiets all violent

And keeps us all indoors.

A kettle on the stove

The smell of tea drifts through the house

A comfort thought

And I am caught

As I lay in bed.

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Water Requiem

-Robin Ramiscal

Life sustained by the drip

Preventing life from the drop

Like the guard of the kingship

Or a saintly prayer by bishop.

Rain bombarded the world with life like airships

Bringing sweetness and joy of lollipops

But now dry are these lips

And the dream quickly pops

For now there is no water that drips

And now all life eventually drops.

Now, the world, amiss, all is not fair

For all that is left, not water, but air.

The song of the beautiful chorus no longer there

We sit uncomfortably on the hardwood chair.

For the overuse we did not care

Now the punishment we cannot bear.

For now an appearance, water does not dare.

And now all life is in despair

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Change Continuity

-Austin Roberto

Running Water

For The

Lights Ultimatum

Sustenance That

Children People

Die For

Because Greater

Access Availability

Despite Need

Needs Results

Lacking In

Change. Continuity.

Taken for Granted

-Marianna Salcedo

It’s something we First World people use incessantly.

We use it to take a cold shower after a long hot day.

Heat in a mug and make a cup of tea when it’s cold.

Fill it in water guns and balloons just to play.

Splash it around during the summer in the pool.

See it flow down in park fountains for decoration.

Buy it in bottles to keep hydrated at school.

Have fun with it in Soak City during vacation.

Let it run down the street when we wash a car.

Leave it running while washing our hands.

Sprinkle it twice a day in the green yard.

Mold it at the beach to make castles in the sand.

People elsewhere barely have enough to survive.

We should be grateful we have enough to keep us alive.

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Nobody Knows Me

-Victor Malof

My name is Ekundayo, meaning “sorrow becomes joy”;

Honestly, that’s the only thing that gives me some form of solace.

No one out there cares about us.

Nobody knows me.

There’s no water here or far. The town’s viceroy

Sends my mother and I off to the wilderness

To fetch some water for our town, a hospice.

Nobody knows me.

We are dying of thirst, we hate to annoy

Other countries, who are so privileged yet so senseless

Towards our own justice.

Nobody knows me.

To think that the absence of water can destroy

My village and its culture is an idea that is reckless.

Our identity is being downgraded to pus.

Nobody knows me.

I am going to die soon; the missing water will toy

With my physical and psychological states and make them grievous.

I had my chance at life and I failed. What will you do with yours?

Nobody knows me.

I have no hope. I have no destiny.

All that’s left of me is a carcass that is faceless.

Not having water is not having life’s preciousness.

Nobody knows me.

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Life

-Brianna Rios

We see it and yet it stays invisible, water

How can we save the invisible

We must use less

We must be conscious of how much we use

We could wither and die from its absence

The larger issue has always been the big thirst

People all over know the pain of thirst

In some areas it is hard to find water

People feel the pang of waters absence

People with easy access see it as invisible

People need to be careful of the amount they use

People with water knowledge use less

They feel the guilty unless they use less

How can they over use when they know others can be in thirst

They watch how much they and the people closest use

They feel the need to protect water

They see water it is not invisible

They never want to feel water’s absence

Dirty water could mean its absence

Individuals with dirty water have no water not less

Dirty water is not invisible

Dirty water cause even more thirst

Dirty water is infectious possibly poisonous water

Dirty water needs to be cleansed before use

The more clean water you see you use

Humans must feel its absence

The more you feel about water

The more you know to use less

The feelings of guilt should over power thirst

The way you see water is crucial so, it cannot be as invisible

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Although it is a clear liquid it cannot be invisible

You must be wise in your use

Although some must face thirst

You cannot wait till it’s gone to feel the weight of its absence

Although it’s clear it is not weight less

You must be careful with your water

Many face the threat of thirst, for it to not be invisible

The way water, flows contributes to its use

You do not need to feel its absence, for you to use less

Conserve Water

-Sebastian Reyes

The water usage habits of our

Nation must have conservation be

Priority, for showers lasting an hour

Don’t fill nature with a sense of glee.

Water is not infinite, use

No more than what you need so others

Enjoy the fruits of your lack of abuse,

Precious water with their sisters and brothers.

We cannot shrug responsibility,

Not everyone is as lucky as we

Few souls who understand the harmony

Brought by water in this land of the free.

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A Liquid Limerick

-Courtney Turk

Without any access to water,

How will she save her daughter?

If only they understood,

The little actions that could,

Help before it gets hotter.

The Trek

-Tyler Gorman

Forced to move through unseen lands,

If not only following the path of those before us,

Huddled, we stay and wait in an attempt to comfort.

Crying, but bringing joy, to most this is strange.

Crying is hated and seen with disgust, but here crying is precious.

Consumed we move on, again no longer able to stay.

If only we knew absolute direction

But always moving we must be away.

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The Water Serpent

-Michael Schmidt

Water is bending,

Like a snake it

Coils, turns, across land.

It is yielding to

The land, flowing at

Its will. However,

Water is also

Fierce, hard, unyielding.

It has the power

To carve Grand Canyons,

To destroy rock and

Stone. Water is a

Powerful item

That we can control.

No wonder we live

By and value it.

We must attempt to

Preserve what we can.

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We Need Water

-Elijah Delossantos

Two-thirds of the world is water.

You drink it when it gets hotter.

70 percent makes up you,

And it ranges from clear, to brown, to green, to blue.

We don't know what it’s worth,

Yet we need it all over the Earth.

For others it’s a way of life,

Toiling everyday in strife.

They need water to survive,

Anxiously waiting for it to arrive.

For US it’s just another commodity,

Ignorant to Third World oddity.

For US it’s just a common taste,

As we let it drip drip drip, what a waste.

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Water, Water Everywhere

-Raymon Hutalla

Water, Water Everywhere

We don’t understand how lucky we are

We waste so much without a care

When for others water is but a wish on a star

We constantly use water, day and night

If it was better conserved our future would be bright

But in our current state we’re looking at turmoil,

There won’t be any left to water our soils

Water, Water Everywhere

This beautiful element comes in many forms

From the snow that falls onto my hair

To the rain created by thunderstorms

But now there is no time to waste

We must save the water; we must make haste

For so long it has been ours to abuse

If it disappeared, we all surely lose

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Water in America

-Francisco Salinas

Something that concerns us all,

Yet is unavailable to many,

Our sprinklers and fountains make it fall,

Becoming inaccessible until there is not any.

There is no water gain or water loss,

Only its relocation and its unavailability,

What makes it almost unappreciated is its low cost,

But it has the power to bring stability.

The irony of faucet water,

Is that it’s treated better than bottled,

Just because we do not bother,

But let underprivileged countries be our model.

We may be a country of many resources,

Which lacks appreciation towards what we have,

But if we don’t educate ourselves on its sources,

Our water will eventually come out of a lab.

Las Vegas Showcase

-Jillian Alegre

Water. An element to flow

For the fish that swim below.

Or the Las Vegas water show case

That brings brightness to a kid’s face.

Water allows us to grow.

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Water, Ponies, Anime, Who?

-Christian Mejia

Sand turns to glass

Wood turns to ash

Pool turns to diamond

But water trumps them all

Water turns to vapor

Vapor in the. Sky

it turns to crystals

and falls to die

and in its death it brings life.

With life comes Honesty, Loyalty, Generosity, Kindness, Laughter,

and Magic.

Allons-y! Water come down, Come Down.

See you Space Cowboy…

Everywhere

-Eric Cordero

Water everywhere so blue and clear,

Found both far and near.

Millions of gallons wasted every year

What are we supposed to do as millions have growing fear.

Conserve and reduce,

Because once it is gone what are we to do when we can no longer

reproduce.

Let’s use all our power and limit our showers

Conserve using the water towers.

What are we planning to do when there is not water left?

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Overcoming Water

-Andres Jimenez

People tend to recognize and prevent

problems that will devastate them.

With a water problem people are content

with their life but they’ll soon be condemned.

The scarcity of water will torment

everyone and new problems will stem

from the lack of water and we’ll lament

because there will be mayhem.

Everyone can help reach a solution,

if each of us conserves more water

we could reverse our reckless

behavior. Through our action

we will be able to alter

and reverse the effects of this crisis.

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Modern Water

-Chrissy Milo

Here we are, in a world today

Whose water has gone astray.

It is not Mother Nature, nor God’s punishment,

But, through human faulty, we have achieved astonishment.

We have abused this luxury enough, for the water is now dried up.

As we pour the water into our cups,

As we use it to wash our pups,

As we go on with these petty break ups,

Remember the water is now dried up.

We can kiss this pureness goodbye,

For all the water we’ll have left, is when we cry.

Fulfilling our thirst, nourishing nature, cleaning our bodies,

It is no wonder why we’re disembodied.

We must preserve what we have left,

It is important to remember what we have kept.

Shut off the faucet, tone down the watering,

For if we achieve this, it deserves an applauding.

Water is more than an essential; it is a way of life.

So that now, there is a less of strife.

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One Less Show Won’t Kill

-Jawaher Karram

“Drip, drop, drip” do the water fountains sing,

splattering their precious water

to amuse the walkers on the strip. Hotter

and thirstier do the children complain, escaping the heat with a zing

of refreshing splashes that pour in the mouth and into the gutters in a

single fling.

Night falls and the hotels get brighter,

tourists flock the streets just to see the water get higher.

None notice the supplies of water depleting with every spring,

plop, and splash of water on the floors.

Smaller water shows won’t hurt.

Tourists won’t be disheartened during tours.

Cutting shows down during the day won’t cause a blurt,

as simple solutions will help lessen America’s water wars

by saving every squirt.

Drink

-Savanna Minor

Running through faucets

A nice, cold glass of water

Cherish every drop

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Taken for Granted

-Sharynne Alfonso

Water is everywhere:

In our oceans, our rivers, our seas.

Water is everywhere;

so tell me why there are thirsty children, please.

Clean water is taken for granted

Purified water is not always at hand

Clean water is taken for granted

as many do not have access to clean water in their land.

The thirst is real

but here we are overwatering flowers.

The thirst is real

but here we are wasting water by the hour.

They say all water problems are local

so if you want to help out, get vocal.

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The Fool & the Wise

-Daneth Maldonado

It’s everywhere.

It is in your kitchen, your bathroom, your pool,

It is in your pet's bowl, it’s in your cup

It is in your flower base,

and it’s in you.

Question is, are you wise, or

do you choose to be a fool?

A fool, is one who views water as a mere body.

one who sees it as “H2O”

and think of it as unlimited, and flat.

a fool, is the one who lacks to save it.

and views it as a simple necessity.

The wise, are those who view water not as mere,

but a mighty savior, who is quiet and assuring,

the wise are those who treat water as precious

and unique, and those who know its value,

which is more than just a simple necessity.

Now,

do you notice?

have you realized its importance?

remember;

those who do not, are fools

and those who do, are wise

So, who do you choose to be?

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The Lethe

-Irene Agliam

We forget its importance

We forget its existence

The river that flows to great distance.

We're surrounded by it, even our coldest sweat,

The water around us, we tend to forget

Flowing through the fires of hell,

The river with forgotten souls—farewell.

To forget its existence on earth,

Drink from the river and feel its worth.

She clears the mind of those who are real,

Water in life, used to heal.

The river in the underworld that's known to neglect,

Water in life, it's so perfect,

The water around us, we tend to forget.

Tranquil

-Derek Mark

Standing in the rain,

it calms me;

the rain.

I’m silent

Treading water in this sea

Barely above the ship swallowing

waves.

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The Natural Helper

-Derrick Mercado

A feeling of harmony, a sense of repose

It fuels our bodies

Every day.

Caters to our every will

Responsible for everything we need and want

It has always been there for us

Ever since the beginning of time, the beginning of life.

Millions of years of existence

Hardly anything has changed about it

But it has changed us

Helped us grow and develop

By letting us take advantage of it

But what does it gain from us?

Today, billions and trillions wasted each day

In one nation.

No appreciation, no respect.

All could be a barren wasteland

With all left to fend for themselves

And all will eventually fade away

It’s always been there for us,

To take care of us,

To help us,

To nourish us.

So why can’t we do the same?

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Little Observation

-Mayra Vizcarra

I turn on the sink,

To brush my teeth,

I look at the water that goes down the drain.

The wasted water wallows,

As the bubbly soap follows

Seeing it go triggered something in my brain.

Where does it go?

Who does it see?

Water that I wasted please come back to me.

My Love for Water

-Julie Gallarte

Water.

My life, my soul, my everything.

Her beauty was pure and clear as crystal.

She lights up my whole world.

She helped me live in this world.

She splashed my heart away.

Every time I see her,

I feel like I’m in heaven.

Oh, what would I do without her?

But then…

She disappeared out of nowhere

And was never seen again.

My life, my soul, my everything,

Shattered into a million pieces;

Gone forever.

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The Water Cycle

-Ashley Saucier

The life of water is like a cycle,

Water goes around and around

Goes around like the wheel of a motorcycle.

Water goes to the cities and towns

It releases energy and warms the environment

Water helps maintain life

It is warm and not violent

Like a mother and a wife.

The sun heats water in oceans and seas.

Rain is the precipitation

And creates a warm rainy breeze

Onto the ground with infiltration.

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Water’s Value

-Jazzrel Tanedo

I find the value of water is found by some,

But is lost on the ignorant and dumb,

Some would pay an arm for drops in droughts,

The dumb watch gallons fall unused from spouts,

But each is blind of water’s value by the some and dumb.

70% of an Inverse Shrine

-Rachel Emperador

Your body is a shrine,

A temple for the endless scheme

Of water in consonants of pantomime,

Vowels of liquid set to teem.

Why then is it thrown out?

Like Las Vegas’ mall plant waste display,

When it is nothing like a lout,

Truly residing in every ocean and bay?

You are water and water is you,

Even if your insides aren’t made of blue,

Water is you and you are water,

Even if your limbs are not its paternal father.

You nourish the youth and the life of the sea;

So make sure it matters more than the bend of the knee.

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The Importance of Water

-Danaly Griffith

It may not seem all that important,

Seeing that it’s always there.

But what if one day you wanted water

And there was none anywhere.

You’re lucky you don’t have to walk miles and miles

To get the water your body needs.

But not everyone is as lucky as us

Millions of people die without water

And have to travel just to get it.

You think your life is so hard?

Having to clean your pool

Or wash the car?

At least you have that pool and car,

But more importantly

At lest you have easy access to the water you take advantage of.

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Save Our Town!

-Maya Ramirez

The problem with water is that we are losing a lot, and fast

And in order to change it, population needs to take the right path

To conserve water as much as we can

So we can be an example for other lands.

Flushing the toilet less and taking a shorter shower

Are some of the little steps to make our nation greater.

Because right now we are losing money, and losing money fast

And if this continues, we may be out of cash

Because water is not cheap!

Why do you ask? Because there is a leak!

In the faucet, in the shower, in the bathtub too

The sprinklers have been on and we are losing our blue.

The blue water we drink and that’s deep inside us all

Because we can’t grab our phone and make a call

To inform our friends to let it mellow if it’s yellow

And flush it down when it’s brown!

Because one less flush is how we can save our town!

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Ubiquitous

-Angela Rosario

Water is the blood of life,

It is the driving force behind strife--in Third World countries.

But water is much more.

It provides comfort to those whom experienced a traumatizing event,

It relieves the great thirst for those who have run a 5k,

It enthralls those who dive into pools of public places as well as the

pools in the great Olympics,

It pours heavily onto anything that is below throughout a storm,

It falls from bathroom sinks and shower heads, but rises from the

sprinklers resting on lawns,

It is a necessity for every living creature that lurks this earth.

But why do we fail to truly appreciate water for its real worth?

Waste not, want not

-Alex Creighton

The water drips from my head

This water here, has been shed

From the shower I inhabit.

And like a quick and speedy rabbit,

Rushes away into the river bed.

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A Gift

-Carla A. Jimenez

Chalchiuhtlicue* calls out to all,

I give thee a gift,

As clear as a crystal and,

As blue as the sky.

For at the beginning it was cared for.

With the start of every calendar,

There would be blood spilled,

Satisfying those above.

But now a new calendar begins,

Where a gift intended for all,

No longer is shared by all,

But by those who can afford it.

*Aztec Goddess of water; pronounced [chall-wee-tl’E- kO]

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The World’s Regret

-Aurelio Diaz

Where does it come from?

This source that we take for granted

That does not have shape or form

And begins to disappear when we most want it.

Is it because America is its number one consumer?

Or because we don’t know how to care for it?

Now we have become its number one pursuer

With regret of ever wasting it.

We have been in aquatic paradise for too long

It is time for us to move on

To better ideas to right the wrong,

And if done, a better future will come.

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Water Show in Vegas

-Ashna Khatri

Walking down the Vegas Strip my eyes start to gleam

I ask myself, how did they get all this water here; there are no rivers

or streams?

Bundles of spectators gathered to see, thousands of gallons of water

to sway, to the beat of Billie Jean.

“The fountains of Bellagio with its rippling curtains of water.”

Depleting this natural resource is the city’s alma mater.

For the sake of entertainment, this necessity becomes a martyr.

Heading towards the next pseudo oasis, we halt at an imita-

tion of Italy.

There flows the Venetian canals, as though I teleported to another

country.

Although, “ignorance doesn’t matter until things go wrong,”

Catching up to us in no time, wasteful habits end terribly.

“But the real obsession in Vegas is water. Displaying it, un-

furling it, playing with it, and flaunting it.”

Conservation is the key: reducing, recycling, and respecting reaps

benefit.

Small eco-friendly actions can make a difference

In preserving H2O, bit by bit.

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Why Do You Waste Me?

-Charmayne Judkins

Why do you waste me?

Do I not give you enough and replenish your bodies?

You do not hold me dear enough or sacred...

I am a valuable source to them, yet you waste and splurge me!

I take care of you- I wash your hair, clean your bodies, wash all of

your sin down the drain, and quench every thirst you have.

Why do you waste me?

Soon you all will have none of me,

You use me as if I mean nothing more than a broken down damaged

floor board,

It will be my sweet revenge when I am long gone,

And you will never see me again,

But for now all I can say is...

Why do you waste me?

You hear the screams I make as you leave the faucet on, run your

showers for too long or flush your toilets consistently,

Your heartless abuse has taken its toll on me and left me questioning

my existence and meaning...

Why do you waste me?

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No Water No Life

-Vicky Cruz

Save water one drop at a time.

Our most used substance is others’ despair.

No water, no life.

We use 70 gallons per day,

While they are desperate for just one.

Save water one drop at a time.

Our thirst quencher;

3 million others’ source of death.

No water, no life.

We have water fights,

While they fight for water.

Save water one drop at a time.

Our sanitation;

780 million others’ source of disease.

No water, no life.

Don’t let others die of water scarcity,

While you are surrounded by a sea of water.

Save water, one drop at a time.

No water, no life.

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The Land Filled with the Sea

-Louie Amog

I wish to one day visit the land filled with the sea

It kills me that I have to wait

Oh, but the attraction is starting to flee

I must see before it leaves no doubt

Before it is gone and it is too late

I wish one day to visit the land filled with the sea

But all of the contents are starting to fade out

Shall this be its horrid fate?

Oh, but the attraction is starting to flee

It is leaving the planet and leaving people’s mouths

All that is missing is a definite doomsday date

I wish to one day visit the land filled with the sea

Witnessing the current emptiness prompts me to shout

The catastrophe of this is more than great

Oh, but the attraction is starting to flee

This is not the way that I would like for it to go out

The world will now be in a dire and dry state

I wish to one day visit the land filled with the sea

Oh, but the attraction is starting to flee

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Sacred Source

-Raquel Hernandez

It dissipates past fingers

insignificant.

Its current flows through veins

beyond thought.

It sustains no threat

rather embodies the foundation

of inner beings.

WATER –

an essential element.

Conservation is the key

for future generations.

The World without Water

-Candace Johnson

How would the world be without water?

We would lack many things — we would falter

We wouldn't have anything to drink

Rivers, lakes, oceans would be empty to the brink

How would we survive with the hot weather?

And without electricity we'd be no better

We use water to cook, to drink, to wash, to live

It is clear that the effects of water would be massive

We use water everyday

But what if water were taken away?

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Water: Preserve the Worth

-Daniel Orena

Through water is life, and unity

Is made through its share.

All nations suffering in poverty

Are lacking clean water and air.

With dry fields of soil in Africa,

And less water for mankind,

Leads to a whole 'nother caliber,

Of death of populations worldwide.

The water is used for drinking,

For showers and cleaning as well.

Which should persuade everyone into thinking,

That without water is Hell.

We must conserve water, advice from one to another,

Because in order to live, we need water.

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Ignorant Wasting

-Omar Ruiz-Medellin

The silent drop falls on the buds of the tongue

We think that what we do is not wrong

Till the last molecule

In this sad world that we rule

The world with so little, yet so young

Took it for granted we did

With the ignorance of a kid

We did not have much

The last of what we have we clutch

The waist of it we must forbid

Remember to close the lid

The waste of water will not be undermined

For we have all been blind

Remember water, for it is not only yours nor only mine

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Why Try

-Christein Humphery

We’ve tried to get it out

The word on the waste

We’ve all tried to lift

The burdens that’s placed

Right on our shoulders

By teachers we knew

Why try to speak on the problems of Blue

Why try to save

Our showers are long

We stand under heat

And break into song

Singing of love

And singing of hurt

Performing in head

And showing our worth

Now while in our head

No time has gone by

But when we have fun

The time it does fly

We’ve wasted ten minutes

Sad but it’s true

Why try to speak on the problems of Blue

We know there are people

Dying of thirst

The fact that we waste

Is probably the worst

What should we do?

Our teachers have asked

The grade is what matters

No attention will last

Is there a thing that any could do?

Why try to speak on the problems of Blue

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A Poem for Blind Aquatic Dreamers

-Kimberly Hom

With our ignorant relationship to water I ponder,

That why only when water disappears is when water immediately

becomes visible?

Will we make it better or just stand still here longer?

For the century past aquatic paradise was enjoyed, but blinded by a

golden era of water

We failed or chose not to see us wander into a new era of water

scarcity and so

With our ignorant relationship to water I ponder.

Having always been abundant and cheap we never had to bother,

That maybe a water crisis would befall us from the insidiously

pleasures we enjoy.

Will we make it better or just stand still here longer?

Our intimacy with water has disappeared and I fear that maybe we

made a loner

By using its usefulness day after day and never appreciating.

With our ignorant relationship to water I ponder.

We know nothing about water yet we are all experts on water

Or so we think still asking exactly where it came from.

Will we make it better or just stand still here longer?

Piling up all the privileges and pleasures earth’s blind dreamers

squander,

Water must be laughing how our fate depends on us approaching the

watery truth we avoid

With our ignorant relationship to water I ponder.

Will we make it better or just stand still here longer?

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Our Commodity and their Intangibility

-Karen Zamudio

Preserve our irrigated water

Don’t let its extensive supply become inferior

Commodity is water’s depreciating superior

Make resolutions and don’t abuse your power

Even if we have to take less time in the shower

tangible to us and intangible to them puts them in danger

those with scarce water supply need a savior

and implement the decay of water; take part in the preservation of

water

Collaborate and conserve

Save water and its prosperities

To implement its importance we should care

Don’t sit around and observe

Join water cause charities

A basic element of our survival to waste it- should we not dare

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The Big Thirst

-Kaylah Alexander

I am a little girl from a Third World country

And I fight for water because it’s hard to find from where I’m from

But I hear you have plenty..why won’t you share?

Why can’t I have any? Don’t you waste it and use it all the time?

I just need a little taste to survive

Save it and help others like me, don’t be stingy just out of greed

Why do you think that it is okay for you to have a surplus amount?

And my family and I are over here fighting for

A drop a day, a drop for survival

I don’t mean to ask so many questions

But I just must know why...why won’t you share?

Please save some for me

I know you can do it

Use less not more

You just have to try

I’m honestly too young to die.

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Goodbye, Farewell

-Marcus Andrew Buenviaje

When water comes we don’t believe it’ll leave,

So we all waste it until the eve.

But when it’s gone we all begin to weep,

We search but don’t find, losing all out slee,

When water leaves, we all don’t achieve

The water plummets into the sink,

I watch it and don’t even blink,

I say farewell,

But when I look outside I see a child crying for a well

I look back at my sink, and my heart begins to shrink.

The Thirst is Real

-Camille Soriano

Water. It’s one of life’s gifts and necessities that we all long for.

Without it, the village becomes sore.

It has the value is of a Diamond in North America.

But the scarcity on Earth becomes a struggle.

For many of us we go on days and nights without a drip or a drop.

Water. With it, the people and nature flourish in wealth.

Without it, all hell breaks loose.

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Waste

-Jacob Castanho

A lifeless drop that holds all life.

Its Absence is the cause of strife.

It is something present within ourselves.

It is a connection on a global scale.

It runs in rivers

It moves through streams

We take it for Granted and use it wastefully.

While some only have it in their dreams

And while it surrounds us

and is our everyday,

There are those who struggle,

To find what we so wastefully ignore.

If we keep this up we will have no more.

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The Only Important Thing to My Life is Water

-Ramona Sola

The only important person to my life is Water

She is the most beautiful item that has ever graced the earth

Her significance to me could not be any clearer

It’s good to know that she has been there with me since birth

What was once a person filled with beauty is now diminishing in its

value

Her figure has shrunk and is going away after every day

The graying of her appearance, oh what has happened to her glaring

color of blue?

I wish I could save her, if only I could find a way

Her face is melting with the intense heat of the sun

Her body is tired, and too many times she has been put to work

With time not on her side, she is close to being done

She has served many people; she has served as a clerk

Why, oh why, must her beauty fade away?

Once a dazzling marveling piece of creation,

Is now the living example of the word decay?

And soon she will be lost by all the nations

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Our Flowing Savior

-Jia Baluyot

Water washes my hands

Slips like sand

Water goes down a river

Slides like a snake slithers

Water can wait

Or show up late

Water comes from the sky

It can never fly

Water can be reborn

It can’t be forlorn

Water has existed forever

It will always be better

Water is reliable

Water is our friend

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END