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Stop cutting down the trees,
My teacher always, always says,
It leads to deforestation and soil erosion.
Avoid overgrazing, my teacher says,
It causes soil erosion, making the soil poor.
Don’t grow crops on the same land every year
Or else you add manure and fertilise.
Oh my teacher! Stop this stop that,
He always says. I, however, wonder
Whether it is for his or our own good.
The population, we learn, is always increasing,
Which means we have to find better works
Of taking care of our rubbish, to protect and care for our environment.
Oh my dear friends, I now know that my
Teacher talks not for himself
But for society and all of us,
To prepare a bright future for all.
So, my teacher, please continue to advise
And teach to save tomorrow.
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Oh my people, what a bad habit you have started. Everybody is cutting down trees, destroying our environment. Just look at the desert as an example. No one lives there because there is no rainfall. No plants, not trees, only oases - and only a few of them are there.
Look at the woodcutter cutting down the trees. Some people cut down trees just for homes or farms. Today we have few trees and wild animals. If this continues, the Sahel will be turned into a desert. A desert with little or no rainfall.
Oh, what a difficult life we will then live. Rulers, elders and teachers help save our flora and fauna. To make a bright future for us the children.
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Environmental realisation
Sitting under the big cotton tree watching
The nature of tabata kaolong as it used to be
I try to recap on how it used to look like
In my imagination, I saw a lot of beautiful birds
And different species of wild animals
I can even feel how it used to be
At first I felt it was a dream but in reality it wasn’t
I could also clearly hear the beautiful birds singing
Coupled with the kind of breeze at the moment
My recapitulation shocked me like a sharp knife’s edge
Piercing and lacerating my skin right to my bones
This made me motionless and then I shivered
Like a person suffering from acute cerebral malaria
When I again recovered from this dangerous realisation
I thought it was a dream but in reality it wasn’t
I started to blame nature but my consent told me
Boldly without hesitation that the root cause was human
Grade 6 class poem, Bakau Newtown School
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Beware beware people beware
The ocean is coming you better beware
It’s eating your coastline so beware
Your corpses are carried aren’t you aware?
Your buildings are falling you must beware
So beware beware you better beware.
The millions you throw aren’t you aware
I work night and day and never go to sleep
While you snore aren’t you aware
Of me the ocean you should beware
For I continue to work while you sleep
Beware beware you better beware.
Your city I invade you aren’t aware
Slowly but surely I will one day
Invade your city you must beware
Is it ignorance or aren’t you aware
That I am the ocean and you must beware
So beware beware people beware.
Grade 6 pupils, Bakau Newtown School
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