two universes with two lands and two morals

two hopes, two fears, two thoughts

two tweets, two captions, two opinions

two lands located in the same region

that feel planets apart

no bridges connecting them

and the ocean continues to expand

the tides continue to rise

and now, i can’t see the other land

i wonder what it feels like to free fall

“get along” and “work together” are the phrases we use so often

we used to emphasize hard work and kindness

but there’s a drain in the ocean

the dissolved oxygen in the ocean is decreasing

and the west is burning

and the climate is changing like the leaves in fall

we are falling to the ground

out of control like the virus

but we can’t swim

in my city, you can either “sink or swim”

sink and fall 

or swim when the wind is strong

we’ve split into red and blue

where is the america i loved?

empathy

kindness

equal rights

intentions

thoughts

respect

the news plays through our minds

like the song we listened to once and that can’t seem to get out of our head

how do you ignore the chaos that surrounds you?

i’ve been told to “wear blinders”

how do you wear blinders when you watch your country split?

and see a judge get nominated 

while you feel like you’re in the middle of the ocean

because you’re seventeen?

you’re a “dancing queen,” but you can’t dance to the melodies being played

how do you feel like you’re in history when you can’t even cast a ballot?

and how do you not cry when you see a judge that could turn the tables?

how do we find enough water to get rid of the fires?

because only .3 percent of that water is usable

and the trees are disappearing

the animals are weeping silently

we can’t seem to get out of our one-dimensional views. 

and, sometimes, i wonder if we ever were 3-D to begin with.