Snowy mountain in immaculate white
Damaged and ruined by climbing gears
No one hears its cry of hurt and pain
Oceans flow with undulating azure robes
But are stained by the oily drip from a ship
Rich treasures underneath have less wealth
Land grounded by a blanket of rich soil
Littered and dumped with filthy trash
Polluted curtain of air with toxic fumes
Forest with green hair slowly fading
And the wild dwellers are dwindling
Knowing not when to multiply again
Ozone layer’s CFCs holes burn me
Blinding my vision with cloudy smoke
Fading the glory of what this planet has
Xiao Lin Jiang was born in China and moved to New York in 2014. She writes, “I like reading books. My desire to keep learning is like a lighthouse, it guides me.” At the Queens Public Library’s Elmhurst Adult Learning Center, she studies with teacher Jovito de la Paz. Michelle Johnston is the center’s manager.