by Madison Graham
I look eagerly at my state in which I live
Searching for what could be better
Where I live is so important to me
She is flawed with the consequences of our actions
What is this place that I call home?
Running past acres of bright yellow fields
Her fresh crops grow rapidly in time for summer seasons
Rows of corn and tobacco replaced by rows of houses and buildings
Dull gray structures stand where once thrived lushful plants
What happened to this lovely place that I call home?
Her trees towering high into the sky stretching far above
Limbs waving bright green leaves to the new day
Hewed for the demanding industries and greedy factories
Hollowed bodies become hideous power lines
What happened to this flourishing place that I call home?
Clean air fills my lungs while I inhale deeply
The breeze brushes my hair softly with its gentle hands
The deafening sounds of horns and roaring engines pass by
I can no longer breathe with the poisoning of her precious air
What happened to this glorious place that I call home?
Blankets of fresh grass layered over vast stretches of land
Her valleys sloping wide, hills reaching with hope
Colorless pavement filled with cracks and holes now defiles her beauty
She is destroyed by the roads that drain life from her grounds
What happened to this lively place that I call home?
Waves fall gracefully upon her shores and envelop the gorgeous white sands
Shorebirds glide peacefully through the warm, salty air
The ocean contaminated with the carelessness of our city’s decisions
Turtles suffer with plastic nooses tightly wound around their necks
What happened to this beautiful place that I call home?
And in a vision, I so desperately wish to see her
Revived and healthy once again
Filled with her colorful flowers blooming and waves glistening in the sunlight
Healed from the scars of our damaging industries and polluted waters
South Carolina is this place that I call home