The Voice of the Ocean
Mount Lavinia, Sri Lanka
2020, Junior, Poetry & Spoken Word
I’ve been here countless years before and I’ll be there for millions more.
Yet I’ll change and morph, that I will;
My acidity will rise further still, as I absorb carbon dioxide
From atmospheric pollution far and wide.
The carbonate-iron in my waters will fall quite low,
And aquatic beings with shells will absorb this blow,
As coral reefs slowly disappear,
Marine life too will erode, that’s my fear.
Then the world as you know it will come to an end,
These times my friends, are just around the bend.
You dispose of dirt into my realm, with plastic, litter, and toxins at the helm,
Followed closely by oils and industrial waste,
Agricultural effluents which cease to abate,
Garbage and sewage find its way into my waters,
At the point and non-point sources, that’s where you falter.
Minimize your consumption, and do it fast, turn to eco-friendly solutions and make it last.
Deep-sea mining also damages me to the core,
Ocean noise pollution, worse than ever before.
So reduce your greed, don’t confuse it for need,
The time to change is now, in thought, word, and deed.
Before you lament, before you despair, I must tell you that there’s a breath of hope in the air;
Scientists are speaking, and people are listening. Slowly, but surely, the times are changing.
Humans are learning about sustainability and balance,
For a better tomorrow, they’re utilizing their skills and their talents.
They are sourcing renewable energy, and efficient appliances,
They are mapping out careers in environmental sciences.
All across the globe, young people are standing together as one
Ready to protect the earth, so half the battle is already won.
Reflection
Reflection
I am lucky to attend a school that is just a few meters away from the beach. Therefore, the sea has been part of my life from the time I was in Kindergarten. Once, when I was 8, a marine biologist addressed the Environmental Club at school and showed us a video of a turtle suffocating on a plastic bag. It was then that I first vowed to do whatever was in my power to clean up the beaches. However, I learned that I am unable to make a drastic change by myself. Nevertheless, I will continue to do my part and will visit the beach every weekend and clear a portion of it, as I have been doing for the past few months. Hope is near at hand, though. For instance, when I see people taking cloth bags to the store instead of polythene, I have hope, and I feel that change is near at hand.