my old friend…

i took a walk
by the sea
with camera
in hand
hoping to find
a photo
that expressed
tranquillity
one of those
money shots
that
people place
upon their walls
to help them
withstand
a routine
existence
one that could
even
brighten
your day
but
found
only reasons
for tears
a beach
where
sand and stones
were suffocated
beneath tar blankets
of thick black oil
and
a small sea-lion
shivering
and
gasping
for air
a refugee
of an environmental war
where profits
determine
the outcome
like
all wars
a pup
fleeing the violence
of greed
whose journey
left him
impaled
fish hooks
cast aside
by careless fishermen
who forget
that they do not
own
the sea
but
share it
oh
i wish
i could have found
tranquillity
rather than
a
tale
that has
no
happy ending

Sea-lion pup has three fishing-hooks in him…can you find them….can you help him? Note the oil on his fins.

for love of money…

Dead Zone from NASA NOAA

the poison
moved
down
the
artery
towards
the wound
where
all
eyes
were
focussed
but
the poison
the silent
killer
was not seen
coursing its way
without repentance
trading profit in iowa
for gulf coast death
but no one talked of it
it was old news
dead zones
where life
was
no longer
possible
or
just a scene
from
h g wells’
island
of
dr moreau

I must replace my dream catcher…

while dreaming last night
i found myself swimming by the sea
in the warm waters of expectations
when the red ball appeared
so i pursued it
as i did in my youth
finding my body transformed
into a golden koi
struggling against the current
i saw the ball within my reach
but it dove beneath the waves
and i with no thought of tomorrow
followed it like a man possessed
lusting after its power
so willingly forfeiting my soul
in pursuit of this prize
but without warning
the sea became black
the blackness filled my lungs
each breath pierced them
like a razor’s edge
cutting deeper
and deeper
until i was the blackness
floating as a unified corpse
with others in the blackness
trapped in the tidal flow
consuming all in our path
bringing them into the darkness
grasping all that lived
and as we reached the shore
i awoke in a cold sweat
tears streaming down my face
for i knew the nightmare
had just
begun