Though My Eyes
Riverton, WY
2020, Senior, Poetry & Spoken Word
I am of the sea,
and so are my children, and so will be my children’s children.
I have seen a thousand shores.
I have lived in all waters.
I have seen a hundred shades of blue
that cover the Earth’s sky.
I have seen the clouds produced by man,
and the black they poured onto my beaches.
I have seen war
and the sunken ships of fighting brothers.
I’ve seen boats carry my kin to shore
and never bring them back.
I have been beaten by those very boats
that fill my waters with used poison from those that reside on the land.
I have caught several of my suppers from
the islands made of rubble that nobody seems to fancy.
I am the sea turtle,
a creature not of the land.
I am not fish,
and I am not a beast.
I am a humbled traveler
who has seen a thousand sands.
Although I do not speak your language nor do you speak mine.
I have a million words I’d wish to share.
I want you to know you’re not the only ones
who admire the twinkling lights in the night sky.
I want you to know you’re not the only ones
who have dreams about better places filled with hope.
I want you to know you’re not the only ones
who breathe the Earth’s air and listen to its melodies.
I have heard your music and seen you dance.
I’ve seen your children grin and heard their laughs.
And I hope for you and your cherished ones to continue on your comfortable lives,
and experience this world through your own eyes.
All I could request is
that you do not strip me of my life and home.
But alas, I am but a sea turtle,
and I do not speak your language nor do you speak mine.
Reflection
Reflection
My poem was inspired by the high number of marine turtles that perish each year due to pollution and plastics that affect the ocean biome and organisms. I have always used writing as a method to get others to see or understand a new perspective. By writing from the viewpoint of a sea turtle, I hope that people might understand or empathize with the numerous creatures that are forced to survive in our pollution and waste. I hope to open people's eyes and inspire more consideration for Earth's wildlife. I want them to understand that unintentionally poisoning these animals is unnatural and cruel.