Mother Ocean Knows All
Wexford, PA
2020, Senior, Poetry & Spoken Word
Mama, Mama!
What is that shiny thing
floating through our seagrass?
It was left by the Neglectors who forget that our futures are one.
Look, Mama, look!
Where did our
fish shoals go?
It was chased north by the Heaters who out-burn the sun.
Mama, Mama!
What is on the surface
chopping up the waves?
It is piloted by the Watchers who only look and run.
Look, Mama, look!
What is that shadow
gliding overhead?
It is cast by the Observers who can see our plight.
Mama, Mama!
Who is scooping
up the water?
It is done by the Learners who will take up our fight.
Look, Mama, look!
What is running and
Splashing along our shore?
That is the Changer, who will one day make everything right.
Reflection
Reflection
I live in a land-locked area, but I have always enjoyed visiting the ocean. I am fascinated by the multitudes the ocean contains, constantly surprised by the new gems that wash up on the beach or float to the surface of the waves. The most wonderful thing I ever found in the water was a group of manatees bobbing just below the surface as I glided through a cove in a kayak. That experience inspired me to write this poem, which began as a conversation between a mother and baby manatee and evolved, as I was writing it, into a dialogue between Mother Ocean and any one of her many children. Which one? That’s up to the reader’s imagination. It could be a stingray, a patch of seaweed, or even a human. To gain inspiration for this poem, I read several articles about the impact of climate change on the ocean. This background research, though not directly referenced in my poem, helped me to realize the extent to which human activities determine the health of the ocean. The “shaped” elements of this poem are meant to evoke images of movement and life below the surface and on the water’s edge, illustrating how the water, the living things it houses, and humans engage in a delicate dance as they attempt to balance each other’s influences and preserve the ocean.