Vox Meditantis

8th September 1981

I went to the old stone chapel in the woods again today. Mum thinks I’m at Alex’s house but I wanted somewhere quiet. The walls are really old and half the roof is broken but it feels safe. There’s brambles growing everywhere and I can smell the dirt under the leaves. It smells good and earthy, not like the bad smells from the factories.

I had that bad dream again last night. I dreamed that all the dirt in our garden turned grey and dead like in the magazine pictures Dad showed me of places where the rain is poisonous. Dad says I worry too much but I can’t help it. What if the ground gets poisoned? On the news they said trees are dying in Germany and I keep thinking what if that happens here. What if all our trees die too?

I keep thinking about what a perfect week would be like. In my perfect week I would wake up and hear lots of birds singing. I would dig in the garden and the soil would smell nice and clean. I would go for walks and all the trees would be green and healthy. The streams would be clear like glass and I could see fish swimming.

In my perfect week the grass would be thick and green to lie on. The rain would be normal rain that doesn’t hurt anything. I would catch beetles and worms for my collection and they would all be healthy. Best of all I wouldn’t have scary dreams about everything dying.

But that’s probably just kid stuff isn’t it? The grown-ups always talk about factories and jobs being important. But what if they make the earth sick? Sometimes I put my hands on the ground here and pretend I can help it feel better.

It’s getting dark. I should go home or Mum will worry. I’m going to take some of this good clean dirt with me in my pocket. Maybe it will help me not be so scared.

Set in early 1980s Britain amid rising concern over acid rain and forest decline, the entry reflects anxieties widely reported across Europe at the time. Environmental groups and newspapers highlighted damage to woodlands, lakes, and soils, prompting debate about industrial emissions and cross-border pollution controls. In 1981, public awareness in the UK grew alongside discussions of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from power stations and factories. Subsequent international action included the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution gaining momentum through the 1985 Helsinki Protocol and later agreements, which helped reduce emissions and mitigate acid deposition’s effects. This context frames the child’s fears within real policy shifts and ecological impacts.

Bob Lynn | © 2025 Vox Meditantis. All rights reserved. | 🌐 Translate