The Sea and Me
Collection of Poems about Marine Debris and Plastic Pollution
Hacienda Heights, CA
2016, Senior, Poetry & Spoken Word
My ode to the sea
Oh sea, I see things that are amazing to me
Your vastness, your wonders
You are so mysterious to me
Oh sea, how I see you push and pull things you don’t need
Your home to many who swim and splash
After all the waves calm after a lash
We use you, we want you, but we abuse you
You take rage on a summer’s day
And no one knows why
Oh sea, how I see you and your anger, your friends are turning amends
You want them to be free from debris coming not from the sea
People on land do not think of the sea
Oh sea, please do not be angry with me
How I love your mist on mornings
You soft sand filled with sprouting sand crabs
The salt in my hair, you know nothing compares
But Oh sea, can’t you see we do not deserve your beauty
Yet you are giving with your treasures
It’s spoiled by hands of people who leisure
They forget about your needs
Oh sea how we need your beauty
The voice of the sea
I cannot forgive no longer
I have endured enough
I am asking for help
But do you wonder
Wonder how the birds cannot fly
Wonder how my creatures get by
Choked by your carelessness
It grips them tightly
But do you care
I cannot bear it no longer
I am in anguish but it us unnoticed
Efforts that leave me saddened
It is true I am vast, but you cannot cast
Away your things
For I am forced to spit them out
Hoping it will bring you out of blindness
Plastic under your feet
Your labels, your caps, your strings
Entangled in my seaweed
Does this not bother you?
Yet you pass it by and create more
This is me I am
The sea
The day in a life of a …
I swim, I find myself trapped
I thrash, I try my best
Its grabbing me, It’s pulling me
Why can’t I be free
Oh sea, can you here me?
I slowly sink
I slowly see
The sea, its engulfing me
Then I am gone
This is my home
Can’t you see
This is the most important thing to me
Stop this please
I have seen you splash in the water
So joyous and carefree
If you knew would you help me?
So remember that next time you look out to the sea
There is a life out there
Looking back at you
The voice of Trash and Pollutants
I am what I am
I cannot help that
My owners are responsible for my fate
I can be often be seen smothered in seaweed
I can often be seen drifting ashore
I can often be seen strangling an animal
But is it my fault?
I want to be placed where I belong
I have no desire to hurt anything
I am misunderstood
I have killed thousands
I did not do it all
You have helped me murder them all
I can also be found floating above water
I am toxic
I am foul
But you don’t care
You would throw me anywhere
But how unaware are you
I will come back for you
I will be in your food
You will feel the wrath of
Pollutants
Reflection
I have always loved the beach; it is a place that is very special to me. Once when I was around three, I ran straight to the ocean believing I was a mermaid. Although I do not live at the beach, I still have a very close bond to it because of all the memories I have made there. It really bothers me, however, when I see how much litter is at the beach. My family and I have always respected the beach because we want it to last for further generations to enjoy. I think it is a very selfish thing for people to ignore their responsibility of keeping our beaches clean. I know if we all did our part, our beaches would be in far better condition than it is now.
My poem collection is entitled, "The Sea and Me," and it contains four poems that tell the perspective of me, the ocean, marine animals, and pollutants on the topic of the sea. I really wanted to make an impact on the reader and have them reflect on their actions towards the sea whether it be positive or negative. I think that giving different perspectives allows the reader to broaden their view of the sea.