Redwood
Emerging Writer — Longfellow Middle School, Berkeley

Poetry

The Ones Who Pay


Lucia Segovia Merlos

March/May 2020
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As the moon fades into the sunlight
The stars dissolve into the first hints of blue sky
The last dewdrops glint in the light
And the animals leave behind the tiredness of night

Green grass fills the vast hills
Butterflies and flowers around the tall trees
Lavenders of purple and daisies pure white
The sun reaches its greatest height
Clear river water shines in the light
The green trees stand upright

Deer prance around
Staying out of sight and on the ground
Squirrels climb quickly
To find their food in the tree
A few stars are at bay
Marking the end of a good day

Constellations fill the sky
Each one telling stories of its own
Most animals sleep peacefully in their homes
Some animals arise
When the moon rules the sky
Some cats on the ground and owls that fly

The cold night stays still
An unwanted guest arrives
He does what he wants until satisfied
But he ruins homes and lives

The sun rises and marks the end of the night
There isn’t a tree in sight
The deer stand on the hard empty ground
The flourishing forest now a lifeless gray town
They look at the strange structures of stone
All the forest animals stand there alone
With no forest to call home

We live happily in our society
But at the end of the day
We aren’t
The ones
Who pay

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