Under Teal Veils
Cresskill, NJ
2021, Junior, Poetry & Spoken Word
Let us dive
down to the hushed lapping that cries
a deceiving cry of silence
a facade
for in Mother’s most reserved blue basket she carries
the composers
the songwriters
—of the symphonic sea.
it began with a blue eye.
swirling with wisdom, with a stillness serene
but retina to retina reflected its truth—pain.
their music echoes cries I wish
oh I wish
weaved a story of warmth and
not the drowned calls of their fading shadow
their ears, our eyes
you poke, poke, poke
each poke a note pierced—a note taken.
in your hands you hold
a needle encrusted with
nothing but blood,
blood—the crisp smell of death
watch now as crimson taints the teal waters.
tiptoe
tread carefully beneath currents and hear
the melodic descants
the rhythmic pulse
beat, beat
Let us whisper:
we,
as does Nature,
will abhor the long silence.
take away their bows and
an orchestra is no more.
it began with a blue eye
soon,
it will end with a blue tear.
Reflection
Reflection
In truth, I’m an environmental activist rookie. For years, I’ve only performed the mandatory task of environment-friendly projects assigned by my school teachers. It wasn’t until the pandemic began that I developed a keen interest in my surroundings, or more specifically, in whales. I recall being first captivated by a brief clip of a whale’s eye, which so alarmingly resembled the human eye. Spontaneous research on whales introduced me to the horrors of anthropogenic noise pollution. Witnessing such silent murder in our oceans aroused disbelief that gave way to simple rage. Simple, because it is simply impossible not to feel infuriated by our insensitivity and destructiveness. So few people know about noise pollution, while many of those who are aware have chosen to overlook its significance. It horrifies me to watch these noise polluters slowly killing the creatures that have kept our oceans alive. Bleeding their ears, impairing their much-needed hearing, risking their chances of survival. Therefore, I choose to enlighten others about the neglected predators dwelling in Earth’s oceans through the only tool I’ve learned to fight with: my words. I want to see thriving blue seas in the future. What I don’t want to feel is regret. I hope that my words will be more than a nudge, but a push for everyone to keep learning. Hopefully, learning will turn us rookies into doers—doers who will lift the veil of bitter silence and protect the vibrant life our blue mother has given us.