The Carbon Cycle by Aimee Nezhukumatathil
Inhale, we breathe in
the gift of life, the air.
Carbon atoms dance
on our tongue, carried
by oxygen’s embrace.
Exhale, we release
our own gift, carbon dioxide.
Plants reach up, take it in
and breathe out oxygen,
our life force.
The cycle repeats,
inhaling, exhaling,
a dance of life and breath,
a cycle of carbon,
a symphony of life.
The Carbon Cycle by Robin Wall Kimmerer
The carbon cycle,
a dance of elements,
a waltz of energy.
Carbon, the building block of life,
passed from air to leaf
to stem to root,
then back again,
in a circle that never ends.
The carbon cycle,
a web of connections,
a story of interdependence.
Carbon, the glue that holds us all together,
the stuff of life,
the heart of the Earth.
The Carbon Cycle by Alberto Rios
Carbon, you circulate
in so many forms,
and you are so essential to every life.
You are the graphite in my pencil
that writes these words.
You are the carbon dioxide
in the atmosphere
that we breathe.
You are the carbon fiber
in my bicycle
that takes me to work.
You are the coal
that powers my house.
Carbon, you are everywhere,
and you are everything.
You are the beginning and the end.
The carbon cycle is a never-ending process. Let us all do our part to protect it, so that the planet stays healthy for generations to come.