A 75-word novel poem
Tides of Change
Experiencing homelessness
Blowing sandy bubbles in anticipation, sand dollars, baby crabs and anemones knew the tide was coming.
But in her quest for the perfect moon shell, she was oblivious to the cries of cormorants and sea gulls above her.
Seaweed fanned out like a starlet’s hair on the casting couch pillow and clams slammed shut against the incoming waves.
Homeless and vulnerable, the panicked hermit crab found her perfect new home—a blue plastic tampon case.
Author’s note: This is a true story. I spent a year as a volunteer with COASST (Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team) collecting, identifying, and categorizing washed-up debris on our local beaches. We were horrified and disgusted to discover the kinds of things certain low-life forms—who consider themselves human beings—throw into our rivers and oceans.
The fate of our oceans and waterways is our fate. No technology can correct for this level of ignorance and willful disregard for the needs of our planet.
If you see something, please say something! Friends don’t let friends throw their sh*t in the oceans.
For more about COASST and our work at the mouth of the Puget Sound, check out this article by a COASST staff member:
Water is our most precious natural resource. How many words come to mind when you think about water? Some say there are more than 1000! Here are a few of mine:
Thanks for reading!
