In a short film directed by Spencer Sharp, spoken word artist Prince Ea’s powerful verses put human existence and the destruction we cause into perspective.
“In our quest to explore the galaxy,
rejects and neglects the home that we have here now.
So no, that can not be wisdom.
Wisdom is different.
While intelligence speaks, wisdom listens.
And we willingly covered our ears
to mother natures screams…” –Prince Ea
This past summer, Prince Ea followed up on this theme releasing an apology letter to future generations, using the spoken word to say “sorry” for the destruction we have caused and to call for a redirection of our society’s trajectory.
“Dear Future Generations,
I think I speak for the rest of us when I say,
sorry, sorry we left you our mess of a planet.
Sorry that we were too caught up in our own doings to do something.
Sorry we listened to people who made excuses,
to do nothing.
I hope you forgive us,
we just didn’t realize how special the earth was,
like a marriage going wrong,
we didn’t know what we had until it was gone.” –Prince Ea
Dear Future Generations: Sorry full lyrics
In both pieces, Prince Ea unabashedly highlights the way humans mistreat nature and the consequences it holds. Using spoken word Prince Ea infuses passion into statements and figures common to the conversation of environmental destruction allowing the resulting pieces to connect with a more emotional level of our understanding and reaching a broader audience.
Born and raised on the North Side of St. Louis, Missouri, Prince Ea is a twenty-eight year old poet, filmmaker, and speaker who studied anthropology through the University of Missouri St. Louis.
“We have a limited number of breaths on this planet. This realization is what led me to create the content I produce now. I am grateful for every moment, every unrepeatable miracle, and while I’m here I want to reach every single heart on the planet to show them that at our core we are Love, we are free, and we are one.” —Prince Ea
You can find more of Prince Ea’s work through his blog, and by finding him on Facebook and Twitter.
This post is part of the MAHB’s Arts Community space –an open space for MAHB members to share, discuss, and connect with artwork processes and products pushing for change. Please visit the MAHB Arts Community to share and reflect on how art can promote critical changes in behavior and systems. Contact Erika with any questions or suggestions you have regarding the new space.
MAHB Blog: https://mahb.stanford.edu/creative-expressions/prince-ea/
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