Lilly .

Poem- Tragedy of a seedling

I wrote this poem back in 2018 for a poetry competition, where it won first place. The theme was deforestation, deceptively simple, yet overwhelming because the topic was so broad, endless ideas and so many strong poems already existed. I wrote this piece in one sitting focusing on making it a story with a reflective ending, this has always been my style. I am partly embarassed and envious at the same time while sharing this.

The day to rise was finally near,
little Lilly could bloom without any fear.
She was always enchanted by the stories of the people down there,
Hardly knowing the bitter truth and the pain she was destined to bear.

Mother Earth could not come to bid her goodbye,
As she wept in silence, terror filling her eyes.
All she could do was pray for her,
that the ruthless world might spare the little flower.

As Lilly opened her delicate eyes,
all she could see were muted screams and cries.
She trembled with fear and begged for mercy,
but who expects stone-hearted beings to show decency?
Her dreams were crushed beneath a raucous tragedy,
while the demons of rage dug graves of their own brutality.

As the day of slaughter reached its end,
Lilly could no longer pretend.
She sobbed under the moonlight,
beside her fallen brothers—her knights.

Before surrendering her journey of sacrifice,
she asked about the unthankful world with a trembling smile:
“Mother… so this is what it feels like to support a life?
Was it too much to ask for a little rain and sunshine?”

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