The Black Death
New Hyde Park, New York
2016, Junior, Poetry & Spoken Word
Beneath the heavy dark clouds
Midnight oil
Lay upon the surface of
The restless, undulating sea
Ripped from the dark and filthy womb
of an oil tanker.
The murderous slime
Reveling in its newfound freedom
spread soundlessly
while the low death knell sang a
purgatory of pain
as the birds of the gulf and the fish of the sea
spoke their last dirge.
Still ravenous
It spreads its greasy tentacles, and
Poisons the life force of the ocean
By sending its deadly cancer
To the cradle of fertility below
And
Not one life rose
from the ocean’s dark shell…
Reflection
When I came across this contest, I decided to check it out and I eventually found my way to the past winners section. As my eyes looked at the amazing past poems, art, proses, and videos; I was fascinated and filled with dread. I always knew that ocean pollution was a problem but the works that I saw online made me finally understand the concept of ocean pollution and how we are to blame. From that moment I knew that I would participate in this contest, not to necessarily win but to show another person the horrors our hands can commit. I wanted that same realization that struck me to also have the same feeling on another individual. Now, I chose to elaborate on the topic of oil spills due to the MASS destruction it can cause. I felt that it was a subject that should be visited more often. Due to these facts, I felt I should write about oil spills. Finally, I hope my poem gives readers a new desire to not just read about the problems in our oceans but to do something about it.