The seas are alive,
Swimming with life.
Dolphins leaping with grace and precision.
A seahorse clinging to the neon green seaweed,
Manta rays roaming freely and undeterred.
Great whales breaching the surface of the water and proudly singing their merry melodies.
I want to observe a gallant shark
spiking through clear blue waters,
Its teeth a radiant white.
Seals with luxurious fur
Jaws open in barks of expression.
Petite crabs scuttle across crystal beaches,
not an obstacle in their way.
What I wouldn’t give to gaze after waddling penguins
Snow-white bellies and clear icecaps to slide on
and clear waters to hunt in.
Alas. That is not the case.
Instead, I see a Hawksbill sea turtle
A beer case constricting its windpipe
Like a boa to its prey.
I see fish with no seaweed for homes
Courtesy of pollution runoff from the coast.
I tearily say goodbye to a Cape seahorse
who grips a waxy Q-tip
Drifting away without purpose or knowledge
Of the boat propeller drawing him in.
I witness a manged Spotted Eagle Ray.
Its majestic wings once angelic and smooth,
Shredded by the floating glass and harsh metal.
I hear a Blue whale that sings
A sad tune of anguish and lament.
I examine an Emperor penguin
Fighting for its life against the dark tendrils of an oil spill
The seabird squawks in a call for help and compassion,
only to have its beak filled
With the black grease that pulls the bird into its void.
This is not all I see.
I see a family sitting at a table.
They thank God for all he had blessed them with.
A house, clothing, food.
They thank him for each other,
and the world he has given them.
The irony is what takes place after the family’s feast.
Uneaten food that falls into the garbage.
The grease that slicks down the drain.
That same family visits the beach that evening,
The takeout containers and soft drink bottles end up
Smashed beer bottles litter the white sand.
Plastic and chemicals go where the ocean takes them.
Today we have a choice to make.
Whether we love this environment
or the man-made junk that pollutes it.
About the Poem
This poem is a call to awareness of how we tend to carelessly and unintentionally cause the destruction of the planet, specifically the ocean and its creatures. This poem is to draw attention to how the littlest of things like a Q-tip or a few beers can cause such devastation and harm to not only the life in the ocean but to the planet as a whole.
About the Author
Keziah Simms is a 21-year-old biracial, bisexual writer from Ontario Canada. She is currently pursuing a joint major in English Literature and Cultural Studies. She has been writing ever since she could hold a pencil and loves all things creative! She generally writes sci-fi and fantasy but does dabble in dystopian fiction from time to time!