Cold, harsh, biting wind blows against my knees.
This is the arctic, we're in the negative degrees.
Trudging across the barren landscape
I see a lump in the distance, a blurry shape.
Blending in with the surroundings, I can barely see it.
I was ready to move on, I admit.
My friend stops me though.
"That's not just a lump of snow"
The roaring we heard made me turn back.
I could see them now, huddled in a pack.
The lump was a polar bear.
We walked closer, there was more harsh winter air.
Next to the bear, was two cubs. They looked at us.
The mama fed them as they started to fuss.
We were on a mission, to photograph Greenland:
Before it melted all away, though this wasn't planned.
Polar bears in Greenland? Last time they were sighted was 2015.
Even though I was an arctic photographer, this was the first bear I'd seen.
My friend and I looked at each other in shock.
I was shaking and sat down on a large rock.
All the reports said polar bears were extinct.
Could we now say they were only on the brink?
What about the other animals that were supposedly gone.
The tiger, elephant, seahorse, or swan?
I took a picture so I wouldn't forget
That there is still hope. I have so much regret,
Because I helped cause the diminishing of Earth's animals. I didn't care.
I didn't do my part, do my share.
But, today was Earth Day.
Maybe I could start the rebuilding of endangered animals. I could lead the way.
Saving one life at a time, starting today.