Model, writer and activist Wilson Oryema shares this flipped poem for Earth Day. Read the poem one way and it tells a story about restraint and our desire for more things; read it in reverse and it tells the story from the earth’s perspective, the pressure of being overran with these things and other waste.
Iʼve had enough
Iʼve taken all I can take
Why now?
I cannot breathe
There are items everywhere
As far as the eyes can see
It pains me
Can I be freed from my needs?
Have I committed a grave sin
Why must I suffer
For the sake of others
Hold my tongue
I could never
I shouldnʼt have to do this
They want more of me
But
I want more
Of them
These fleeting things
Discover more poetry by Wilson Oryema and read his journey navigating through the fashion industry whilst speaking out for sustainability in his Life As I Know It.