Newark Charter, 10th grade

A Patch of Green

The path I find myself on is one often-traveled by myself through the woods. Leaves clutter the ground around me, fallen soldiers of a years-long campaign. They crunch underfoot, letting out one final death thrall as I tread through the forest. It is the heart of winter. Cold air fills the leafless trees as I peer into the very depths of the forest. A solemn squirrel scuttles by my feet like a scavenger picking apart the remains of a battlefield. I reach the bridge across the creek, the center point of a now-dormant civilization, and I realize that I am next-to-alone in this forest. A dull gray-brown landscape envelopes the earth; this winter is still with death. As I continue my trek through these woods with grave thoughts filling my mind, I see a patch of green; green brighter and more vibrant than I have seen in many months. 

This cluster of green plants, in any other month, would have been ordinary, but in the midst of winter, it was a symbol of perseverance. It struck me as the lone soldier fighting for a civilization long lost to time. The fight was long since over, but it fought. It fought to revive the forest; to keep it alive just long enough until the next warm week came along. This disorganized patch of plants was surrounded by butchered trees, stumps that were husks of the towering behemoths they once were. The land should have been dead. Hard soil, old tree stumps, chilling cold; they presented an unbreachable barrier to life, yet life found a way. That seemingly impossible cluster of green represented everything that humanity has worked for, and everything that humanity has achieved. 

In today’s world, sea levels are rising. Record levels of heat are being recorded. The air is polluted and people across the world cannot breathe. In short, Earth is struggling. Humanitarian issues and environmental issues and economic issues and political issues all plague the globe at the same time. The Earth has become that cold and dark forest in the depth of winter, anxiously awaiting for the passage of time to bring either its end or its rebirth. On the other hand, there are those of us searching for a way out. We are those who endlessly strive to remain in tune with the heart of nature. We are the soldiers striving for rebirth. We are that disorganized mass of green plants in the center of the dark forest. 

It may seem a fruitless endeavor to be alone in the dark forest, to be the only one fighting for change. However, the opposite is true. The patch of green in the forest shines brighter than anything else. It stands out like a beacon heralding the eventual coming of spring. Even in the dreary atmosphere of winter, I saw hope in those tightly intertwined leaves. By pledging to be the lone soldier fighting for a civilization that might already be gone, I can stand out as a beacon to all the other quiet observers thinking the same thing. Just as the vibrant patch of green inspired me, I can inspire others by taking action, even when others see it as a lost cause. For me, that action comes in the form of advocacy, in the form of emails written to state representatives that may never get a response petitioning for a new policy that will shift our course towards escape from the dark forest by even the tiniest margin. For others, that action comes in the form of volunteer work to pick up trash. The action you take can be anything. Simply taking a stance in the midst of the dark forest that we are surrounded by will inspire even more people to take their own action, to fight for their own lost civilization, to be that disorganized patch of green for others still. 

Today, spring is coming. The patch of green has heralded the rebirth that will bring forth a new spring. Countless more shoots of green growth have sprouted in that forest, even in just the first week of March. The soil is wet with rain, as healthy as it has ever been. The lone soldier stood strong through the depths of winter, and its work has paid off. Spring has come for this forest, and I know that the same will be true for the world. By being the lone soldier who fights amidst the dark forest, we will find our spring and bring rebirth. 

Even in the dreary atmosphere of winter, I saw hope in those tightly intertwined leaves. By pledging to be the lone soldier fighting for a civilization that might already be gone, I can stand out as a beacon to all the other quiet observers thinking the same thing. Just as the vibrant patch of green inspired me, I can inspire others by taking action, even when others see it as a lost cause.