Dear Ocean
East Waterboro, ME
2017, Junior, Poetry & Spoken Word
Dear Ocean,
Tell me, why are you so blue?
What did the cruel men do to you?
Selfishly stealing your children, every last one,
Ensnaring them in nets until there are none.
Suffocating them with awful, dark oil,
And leaving them stranded on the beaches to spoil.
Turning your seas from vibrant to virulent,
And coating your shores, leaving them impotent.
And what about your littered shores, ocean, do tell me,
And the abundance of plastic polluting at sea.
And tell me about those foreign fiends,
Dominating over your native species.
Forcing them to move on and find a new home,
And sadly for some, there is nowhere to go.
It is not fair for humans to be so careless and cruel,
You are a gift to us, now we must protect you.
It is my responsibility to stand up for what I believe,
So I promise to help you however you need.
To follow the rules and preserve your fisheries,
And take care of all of your beautiful species.
Until the cruelty of man changes I will preach,
And pick up the trash that litters the beach.
By encouraging others to do their part,
We can help restore your broken heart.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Goodrich
Your Concerned Friend
Reflection
Reflection
My parents have always encouraged me to stand up for what I believe in. As a Mainer, I have always had access to the beautiful coast of the Atlantic and Maine’s many lakes, rivers, and ponds. I have seen firsthand the natural beauty of the ocean and its beaches, and the other bodies of water that inhabit so many incredible species. I have also witnessed the insane amount of trash that pollutes these places, and the effect it has on the animals who call them home. After learning about this litter, global warming, and invasive species with my seventh grade science teacher last year, I realized that our ignorance has become a huge problem, and I knew I had to do something. I just didn’t know what. When my teacher told me about Bow Seat, I had my answer. It was a way for me to express my concern and send a message to people about ocean pollution in a creative way. The goal of my poem is to evoke people’s emotions and make them feel a hint of guilt that will hopefully make them think twice before polluting and carelessly spreading invasive species. Together, we can slow the effects of these harmful habits, if we all contribute in cleaning up our oceans and shores and reduce, reuse, and recycle. We only have one earth after all, and it is our job to take good care of it. I hope my poem inspires people to make a difference.