28 Mar Photosynthesis
Breathe in, breathe out.
I sit in the sun, basking in the warm rays, soaking up the sunlight as the day fades away.
Breathe in, breathe out.
Photons are what I need; I need them in my chloroplast. The chlorophyll in me helps to trap the light, to trap it in me so that I can eat. That’s the chemical that makes me green, so green, green and beautiful.
Breathe in, breathe out.
Water rains from the clouds, entering the soil, where my roots suck it up. Up and up it goes, up my roots and my stem, up into my leaves, until it reaches my cells, safely stored in the vacuole.
Breathe in, breathe out.
Carbon dioxide is last. I need carbon dioxide. It helps me breathe. It helps me move. It helps me live. In comes the carbon dioxide, out goes the oxygen.
Breathe in, breathe out.
Why is the air so thick?
The carbon dioxide, once at the perfect amount, an amount that kept me fed and thriving, is now all I can taste.
Breathe in, breathe out.
What once was the water cycle, simply and expected, sun rays perfect for my leaves, are now hurricanes and blistering heat waves.
Why is it so hot? What has happened to the weather?
Breathe in, breathe out.
I sway in the wind, my mighty branches threatening to crush the man made structures, to crush those men, women and children inside. I sway in the wind, my mighty branches being ripped and pulled off me. I watch fellow trees topple to the floor, unable to handle the strange new winds.
Breathe in, breathe out.
I bake in the sun for hours, sometimes going far too long without water. I’m thirsty, I’m losing energy. Where are the clouds? Why is the sun punishing me? What have I done to deserve this? The sun continues to bake me, days and days go by, my leaves begin to thin and fall, but it’s not even autumn.
Breathe in, breathe out.
The birds that used my branches for safety and housing, the rabbits and hedgehogs that used my leaves for shade, they are all gone. Gone, gone, gone. Lost to the battle of the heat, of the hurricanes, of the humans.
Breathe in, breathe out.
I am being marked. Marked for death. The humans are greedy, they need more, more and more and more, until there’s nothing left.
But if I am gone, who will eat up the carbon? Who will help to save our planet? Who will provide you humans, you monsters, with oxygen?
They do not listen. One of them stares me down, axe raised, and begins to chop. I accept my fate. I accept the cycle of violence against the planet. It will no longer be my battle to fight.
Breathe in, breathe out.
Breathe in-
Breathe-
Ashleigh Jordaan – Year 11