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the newly blue sea
Rachel Levin
Santa Monica, CA
2021, Senior, Performing Arts

ship on the sea have you found me?
i have been calling to you
remember the world as it’s drowning
escaping alone but in twos

what shall they do when the rain falls down
crushing the tallest stone peak
what shall they do if we can’t be found
lost among anchors and reefs
look for a mist among smog-filled skies
have you yet lost what we seek?
what shall we do when the tears fall down
slipping into the blue sea

once in awhile i’ll remember
remembering’s all you can do
time and place, a daring chase against the spiteful human race
who remember not the way to stay true

what shall they do when the waves fall down
crushing the tallest stone peak
what shall they do if we can’t be found
lost among anchors and reefs
look for a mist among smog-filled skies
have you yet lost what we seek?
what shall we do when the tears fall down
slipping into the blue sea

will the sun set on a washed-out world
begging for years that won’t come
time isn’t endless and neither is life
don’t wait ‘til another war’s won

don’t wait ‘til another wars won
what will that bring but unrest
they are not the first or last to ask for a reset
and already fulfill their own request

what shall they do when the waves fall down
crushing their tallest stone peak
what shall they do when we can’t be found
will they look among anchors and reefs
capture the mist among smog-filled skies
finding the things that they seek
will the tears fall as they see themselves
in the newly blue sea

Reflection

The "Newly Blue Sea" is vaguely inspired by the story of Noah's Arc, but more generally it's an outside view of the decline of the natural world on Earth and a lament of what could be if people woke up. The song was inspired by my own frustration, of course, but also my own hope--the hope that humanity might get a grip before the sea swallows us all back up. My song has a pessimistic view of things; a spiteful watcher wondering how the human race will cope when they are swallowed up by the sea. It ends, though, with a view of the future that includes a "newly blue sea" made by humans who care enough to "look among anchors and reefs" to find the meeting point between the natural and synthetic worlds to make the sea blue again. Coming back around to Noah's Arc, humanity will be punished by a biblical storm of hurricanes and typhoons brought on by global warming, and the angry, selfish ones will be drowned, but perhaps the ones who care will band together and build a boat. That's all that I can hope for.

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the newly blue sea

Congratulations winners of the 2025 Ocean Awareness Contest! View the innovative new collection of student work here!

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