by Barbaraanne Helberg

Created on: June 20, 2010

Nature's Man-Made Disaster

In waters thick with sinking oil, black oblivion bows
Nature's lovely creatures struggling to live in their now.
How has Man caused such sorrow?

The gorgeous Gulf Stream waters by Nature still glow,
but oil gushes by hours into their sacred flow.
How can it continue to go?

Gallons of crude force the Peligans and pretty birds
aloft; black-oiled, wet wings send them back to earth.

How will they prevail?

Living in a midnight of oil, rescued Peligans now
by day get a washing of Dawn soap, and how!
But will they see their tomorrow?

Oysters that used to be many for a living,
now sink to a murky grave, void of giving.
Can Man correct this wrong?

Shrimp float up from the water onto the Louisiana shore;
fish no longer breathing increase the deaths by many more.
Which can live in their now?

Watery creatures to watery briney deaths continue to go.
Recovery, generations away, will never be better than slow.
How can Man claim no foul?

Can turtles swim in their now? No. Nor do oily birds usually rise;
nor is it Nature's true lot to exist in danger and rebuff Man's lies.
The Gulf's sad now remains still.

Nature's Man-Made scars over many years spontaneously heal;
feathered, shelled, finned souls grievously wronged can't appeal.
Man, too, must live in his now.

No time now for Man to argue, name-call, and assign blame.
Cries from Nature's own to live in their now remain lame,
unless Man reaches deeply to rise.

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