Seven of Us

is a lecturer at the Bangkok School of Management, a wellness coach, and the co-leader of the Bangkok Women's Writers Group. Here, Bhavna writes about her inspiring experience of cleaning up the garbage in the city that is her home.

- BHAVNA KHEMLANI

We are here for that glamping trip so we can pick up the pieces other people leave behind. Many people call us garbage collectors. We call ourselves “Environmental Poets.”

In a world where concrete towers overshadow nature’s whispers, we gather in a hidden grove, our words a shield against the encroaching tide of consumerism. Our verses are seeds, planted in the hearts of those who listen, hoping to spark a revolution of conscious choices.

As we embark on this new government-assigned project, footsteps crunching over scattered debris, crackling plastics protest our intrusion. The clinks and clanks of metal cans and glass bottles mingle with the rustling of paper and the squelching of organic waste, creating a chorus of chaos that echoes through the beach.

Clink clank

Clink clank

Crunch crunch

Crunch crunch

Crow cawing, ‘AWW!

AWW! AWW!

AWW!’

We are seven. There sure is a lot of noise. Noise of crackling plastics, breezy wind, hooting for us, and varied fabrics left behind weeping the hard works from sweatshops. We decide to take a break from collecting.

The clatter of tent poles being assembled, the rustle of recycled tarps being spread out, and the boisterous banter among our group fills the air blending with the distant hum of motorboats. Volunteering to collect fallen branches for a grove bonfire, armed with trash bags, we split into teams.

Later, gathered around the crackling bonfire, our faces light by its warm glow.

Amidst the ancient trees, we take our pens dancing like leaves in the wind, crafting lines that flow like rivers of thought. Emotions swirl like storms within them, a tempest of concern for the Earth’s fragile balance. We write of oceans choking on plastic, of forests felled by greed, and of a planet yearning for healing.