at bay

Gold cherry
Poem of the week

By Di_Hard

Mon, 14 Nov 2022
  • 2561 reads
23 comments
 

you've gone to the moon we know

only as light, a white finger from Heaven

whose pulse pulls Earth's sheathing waves

                            

 

noise clings to us, we cannot out-swim

this new, unseen pollution shattering our vast water space

with seismic booms unravelling

between continents. Nowhere has peace. Now

many of us can't bear, can't bear to sing - our wells of deep

silence whiplashed by submarine sonar haemorraging hearts

which once beat with love for our wee ones, same as yours, crushed

as steel pipes hammer into secret, resting sand

off shores where fish were used to mesh, unfurl in silver

slivered  ecstacy whirling in cool coils at our swoop. We

and they are gone; some till there's no more

swimming to drown on beaches, some fallen down, cold, down

where in mass extinctions millenia past our ancestors made 

your stinking black taker, those shrinking slicks you seek 

to sleek your way through the machinations you make of Life

 

and I, imprisoned in bars of noise, wonder if ability to understand

guilt's a prerequisite for intelligence

are we stupid because we ask why we deserve this

exchange of all we want with your waste? Without

food, health, freedom, in this songless time we cannot

know each other. So I'm come  where

passed down memory warns me against

to see if that's less bad than where once was good 

and we were good at being. Alive

I hope at my last heart beats, to know myself, to be free

of seismic bangs and sonar beeps. Lungs scalded

 with cleaning chemicals and excrement, through

reeling eels of plastic twine, flop and slap of period pads 

the ferry propellers' grind, and seething shallow's silt

can't breathe

leap

out of my world, into yours, a flash

 

 

Splash! Children laugh, even grown ups smile, point, innocent

again. No one can remember seeing a dolphin here before - we feel

blessed 

 

.....................................................................................................................................................

 

https://www.oceancare.org/en/our-work/ocean-conservation/underwater-nois...

Certificate U
Poem

Comments

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

I wasn't sure what was meant by the first line, though the two following were so well put. It was nice to end on the delight they still give in the last two lines in contrast to the sadness.

There does seem to be more understanding and attempts to slow boats, quieten them (I think military vehicles were realised to be quieter than commercial, though I guess that brings cost). There are fewer vessels nowadays, but those that are are so big. And rules about where noise can be made. Hopefully research is ongoing.

There was some research on dolphins in captivity that seemed to imply they could learn to dampen down loud sounds somewhat, but it hadn't been confirmed. Maybe some can do it a bit. Would be useful for them anyway. And still work ongoing on other pollutions. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thankyou for your thoughtful reply, and reading this version too,  Rhiannon. I am not sure there is much good news - even off shore wind turbines cause problems, which I hadn't realised - the same seismic echo location as for oil exploration seems to be used (as far as I can understand) in order to decide on suitable locations and how to build the right kind of foundations. But the exploration for fossil fuels is worse because must go deeper, and therefore be more powerful. And the sonar for submarines seems the absolute worst. I almost wish I hadn't done any research, but I guess that is the point, even living by the sea I didn't know what was going on in it!

Thankyou very much for your very kind comments :0)

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

It touched my emotions reading your voice for the dolphin. In fact not just the dolphin, but also the many other creatures that have been displaced. Some humans just don't seen to realize the damage they're doing, it's a real heart breaker. 

Poignant read that I feel will touch many readers.

Jenny. 

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thankyou so much Jenny, that is exactly what I was trying to explain - am sorry to have made you sad, too though

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

Wow! I know you don't like reading things, but I wish you'd make an exception for this one Di

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thankyou for not giving yesterday's one a cherry :0) I did need to look it up but it is very, very bleak. And the research is only just starting at the same time as the noise is getting so much worse

 

Submitted by TJW on

Much obliged for the read, DH.

A hard poetic bolus to swallow so I will choke it down.  Willingly.  Nothing good comes easy.

V/R 

TJ

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Hullo :0) Thankyou for reading and your very generous comment

 

Submitted by TJW on

Didn't comment to be generous but to express appreciation for the work.  Pretty woman, don't walk on by, pretty woman,  don't make me cry, pretty woman....yeah... listening to Roy ....I don't believe you, you're not the truth, no one could look as good as you....keep hard at it and accept yourself once in a while because most times no one else will....

 

VR 

TJ

 

 

 

Submitted by marandina on

"I, imprisoned in bars of noise, wonder if ability to understand

guilt's a prerequisite for intelligence"

 

A poignant lamentation. Topical with the world's population now at 8 billion. There's an overwhelming argument for finding ways to halt the increase in human numbers so that we can finally try harder to live in harmony with nature. In the meantime, there are so many ways to destroy it and we owe it to future generations to get this sorted. Paul

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thankyou very much for your thoughtful comment Paul, yes the 8billion is terrifying,and how quickly it went up from 7, and will go to 9, yet habitable land is shrinking and unemployment growing and all the time tensions will make countries rub up against each other and spark war. All starting with the agricultural revolution, just 200 years ago. I am sure if Britain hadn't started it all, another country would have, but cannot but feel we are to blame. We invented the idea of economic growth, too. They all seem like good, sensible ideas. But if someone has no access to information that person cannot see the bigger picture - how can they know that it will be a bleak future for their children? If you live by picking rubbish the number of children you can raise might be the only sign of God's grace. When populations increased in Europe the energetic young migrated into the larger world. This is beginning to happen in the opposite direction, as the larger world's population outgrows possibilities in their homelands. And all the time the drive is towards employing as few people as possible in order to maximise profits, and to pay as little tax as possible to keep those proffits and to make sure governments are elected that will not rock this boat however many little boats sink in the seas between

The rubbish picker or subsistence farmer and their 7 children are definitely not to blame for submarine sonar or air blasts to find new oil reserves, but will suffer from the climate change fossil fuels cause

Anyway, sorry about ranting, thankyou very much for giving your time to read and comment, very much apprectiated as always :0)

 

Submitted by celticman on

I'm not sure there's much good news either. Sigh. 

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

I am sorry. But it is very possible the coming generations will do things differently, a lot of frustration building up

 

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

There is a movement in the rhythm of piece, it captures the darting intelligence and movement of these creatures as well their accute sensitivity, both to their immediate surroundings and the long-term decline of their environment. It wouldn't be so bad if we could say, well it's got this bad but it won't get any worse now because we're stopping the destruction and pollution but that's not happening. 

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

More people who care, like you do and there will be change Jane. Thankyou so much for reading and your very kind and thoughtful comment

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

This powerful piece is our Poem of the Week - Congratulations!

It's also our Facebook and Twitter Pick of the Day

Please share/retweet far and wide

Picture Credit:https://tinyurl.com/5575t37s

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thankyou so much! 

 

Submitted by Penny4athought on

Human entitlement knows no bounds. Your poetic words poignantly highlight the tragedies caused by man. Your depiction of the dolphin’s plight is terrifying and painful to read in its truth, and makes me wish there was some magic in the world that could reverse this, but there isn’t. Here at the top of the food chain, with no regard for preservation of other species, or the precious waters, or the pristine air, or the non toxic earth that had formed at the birth of our planet, this paradise formed has become paradise lost under humans rule. The dolphins deserve our protection, the planet crys for it but human’s in thier self awareness and self indulgence, refuse to change and change is needed immediately; if we have a prayer of saving life in the oceans, birds in the sky and plants on the earth we need to act now…but I have very little hope that we will change the world in time.

Penny4athought

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thankyou Penny for your heartfelt comment. I do not think we will stop, either. Yesterday on the radio there was someone talking about economic growth, about needing to employ fewer people and pay less tax to improve business. If a business doesn't pay tax or employ people it is using resources simply to make money for the boss and shareholders. The COP in Egypt was packed with pro fossil fuel representatives. Is kind of like someone trying to give up gambling being shown ads for casinos all the time. But it is gambling the future of the Earth. Thankyou so much for letting me know how you feel and that you got what I was trying to say, it meant a lot

 

Submitted by jeand on

Gosh Di, this is so powerful in its message and so beautiful in its delivery.

Jean Day

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thankyou so much Jean, for saying that, you have made my day. I hope you are having an easy time xx

 

Submitted by jeand on

HI Di

 

A lovely poem, using such qualty words.  You have such skill.

Jean Day

Submitted by Di_Hard on

That is so kind of you to say, Jean, thankyou very much. But I have never ever written, nor will, anything close to the powerful diaries you are posting