21st Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
(Part 1 of Our Seeds Plead the Fifth) Photo Name: Abhor

This is a story about climate change. It is a conversation between me and my plant. The photos in this series showcase a perspective that is never touched upon; the perspective of the plants and animals themselves. The story goes: Our dependency is also our tragedy said the Philodendron Birkin sitting on my window sill. It said if we (the plants) could take the water poured on us by the sky, we would weep tears so great it would flood the earth. So I said why would plants cry. And it said, because we are no more. We plants who aided you humans so strong through our breeze, and you humans cut us by the knees. So I said I’m sorry forgive me. And I weeped my quiet tears, and my plants leaves began to sag. And it went silent. A silence so deep, I felt it screaming in my ears. So finally with my heartache spilling my guts, I said to it what can we do. And I never heard anything back. This is a story about climate change, deforestation, about the green lights that shone in every region, In every place, in every town, being no more. Without light, without sight, where will we go now.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 09.2023
Date Uploaded: 11.2023
Photo Location: Bronx, New York, United States of America
Copyright: © Sakaturi Sanuri