Underwater skid row

Those aren’t jelly fish,
They are plastic bags;
That’s not a coral reef;
It’s a heap of trash,
replacing anemones;
clown fish live among
vacuum-tube TVs,
marine hobos, darting
in and out of their
underwater skid rows.

Reviews

[Phill Oz O'fee]

New research has found; more than five trillion pieces of plastic, collectively weighing nearly 269,000 tonnes, are floating in the world’s oceans, causing damage throughout the food chain! Your poetic short write punches high - it is a good protest composition - :-)

[Maxwell Ryder]

Phill Oz, (can I call you that?) I appreciate the fact and compliment. Too bad GreenPeace isn’t soliciting campaign slogans. One day, I’m guessing, men will be trawling the ocean floor for scraps.

[barleygirl]

I love this. It bugs me no end to think about what we selfish greedy humans are doing to this planet. But instead of going off on a diatribe, you make this into a tongue-in-cheek commentary by showing instead of telling (the first rule of good writing). If someone doesn't know what you're talking about, then they must be part of the problem! So cool the way you use original details & even a splash of playfulness in your sarcasm, with a killer title! (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[Maxwell Ryder]

I like diatribes too.

[Great Aunt Astri]

Well observed, and succinctly put.. I have heard that some sea creatures have incorporated the tiny plastic molecules into their DNA. False news? Or will we be seeing new species?

[Maxwell Ryder]

I think there are measurable quantities in our lungs, bloodstream and organ systems, yes. And in so much food we eat. It (and Fukushima) is killing most of the innocent marine life. The food chain arrives back to us. I’ve heard of surfers getting hurt because of ocean debris when they wipe out, there’s so much of it. The gyre is real, and only hurricane after massive hurricane puts more in the ocean, let alone all the illegal dumping that’s done.

Thank you for the read and wonderful compliment.

[Great Aunt Astri]

I hope it is not too late for something to be done about it.

[Maxwell Ryder]

ME TOO. I would do snorkeling trash collection in the Caribbean.