The Gifts
Flushing, NY
2016, Senior, Poetry & Spoken Word
When I was five years old, I met you for the first time.
I pranced in your sparkling sand,
Waddled to your waves that kissed my feet and
Gazed in awe of how wide and wondrous and full of water
The Earth was.
You gave me happiness, and in return
I gave you my left slipper.
I was twelve when I took a class trip to the beach.
My friends and I ate sandwiches by your shore and
I took on your waves more bravely this time, feeling
A sense of familiarity and comfort in your arms.
You gave me a memorable day, and in return
I decorated your body with Ziploc bags.
I saw you again on my sixteenth birthday.
Thrilled to celebrate with you by my side, I
Blew out candles,
Danced with a boy and
Pocketed a pretty shell you had placed in my path.
You gave me festivity, and in return
I gave you a bouquet of deflated balloons.
At twenty-one my friends and I decided
To spend spring break with you.
Free from the burden of deadlines and due dates,
I relaxed in the solace of your waves and whispers.
When night fell I lit sparklers and
Laughed and drank.
You gave me peace, and in return
I left you a clutter of liquor bottles.
I returned yet again at twenty-five with a smile
Now replaced by frown lines and darkened eyes and
A pit in my heart all your grains of sand couldn’t fill.
I noticed you felt my pain.
Your wet sand gave me stability and your gentle
Waves collected my tears, yet in return
I threw my engagement ring at you in rage.
I watched it disappear into your big blue mass
Hoping my memories of him could diminish the same way.
I blamed you;
What can you give me now?
But as I turned and walked away from you,
Feeling your gaze and the attempt of your waves to
Reach out and pull me back to you, I failed to realize
That all these years, in each memory and moment,
You had never stopped giving me the gift of love.
Reflection
Reflection
I believe the ocean loves humankind. It gives unconditionally it provides us clean drinking water, food, other resources, and even simply a place of relaxation. Then why do we return this act of giving with piles of litter and debris? Why do so many of us love to go to the beach, yet we continuously participate in the deterioration of the ocean? I wanted to convey this irony when I first began writing this poem. Going to the beach is always a memorable time for me. Listening to the crashing of waves, feeling the salty ocean breeze, and unplugging from social media gives me a moment to be still and appreciate the natural world. I get a tranquil feeling I can’t quite place my finger on, a feeling of simply coexisting with nature. However, not before long I started to notice the marks of humankind that pollute the oceans. Cigarettes, soda bottles, utensils, and other plastic debris significantly contribute to the destruction of marine life. As ocean conservation becomes a more and more urgent issue, the responsibility lies in our hands to change and preserve the natural world around us. I believe that it’s about time that we, as humankind, step up and give a little help back to the ocean.