fishing & beach-going 101 / daily politics: a mix-up for climate change
Grayland, WA
2022, Junior, Poetry & Spoken Word
acid waters &
thalassiosira pseudonana…
no longer scatter,
breathing into our tarnished earth—
a thin thread.
of hope?
mud-slide…
slinging,
news-reporter feature:
two buried gas-pumping behemoths.
donkey, elephant—
all dead.
generation left to feast,
on a mosaic of crushed oyster shells—
to search for undead oyster seeds,
to stand.
and speak…
beach-goers guide 2030:
please gather your bucket hat.
flip floppers,
and SPF 200 sunscreen (benzophenone-2 free)—
NO SWIMMING.
keep clear of whale carcasses.
leave no trace.
one type of bait,
politics.
a big…
erroneous—
fish.
Reflection
Reflection
My poem highlights how climate change affects everyone, no matter your political views or culture. I found inspiration for this poem after taking a trip down to our local oyster farm and witnessing the many jobs it provides for community members. The oyster industry had been majorly impacted by ocean acidification, and oyster farms have bene unable to find oyster seeds. Living in a rural coastal area, we have seen many effects of climate change in our oceans. Erosion has wiped away an entire coastline filled with houses, and rainstorms have appeared more frequently, flooding homes and endangering many lives. In such an interconnected world, what affects one small coastal town can ricochet across the Pacific. As members of a global community fighting to protect our oceans, we must call attention to what covers 71% of Earth's surface.