Once upon
A long time ago,
A confused American
Youngster
Wanted to be
A lion,
Honourable
Selfless
Serving others.
Youth’s misguided
Desires
Destroyed
Seagrass meadows,
Power
At the hands of
Mother Earth blood-money.
Excess
Led to opulence,
Palatial fishing lodge.
Lust
For more
Led to
Envy.
Courageous Captain
Defender
Whales
Seals
Sea turtles
Sharks
And more.
Upender
Nefarious poachers
Nation states.
Lion
Pretended
Empathy,
Jealously
Conquered
Love.
Hate
Moved to town.
Good Captain
Blindsided,
First mate
Fearful,
Unwilling
To battle,
White flag
Coerced,
Soon
Aggressive direct-action crews
Shipless shepherds.
Intrepid Captain
New vessel
Same mission:
Strength
Passion
Courage
Persistence
Dedication
Imagination
Veganism
Healthy ocean,
For if
“The ocean dies,
We die!”
Oh,
Unremarkable lion
Met Karma,
Rebirthed
Shad,
Smithereens Gulf smashed
Two hundred forty-two seismic
Fossil fueling
Decibels.
Agitate. Disrupt. Defend.
Reese Halter is a bees/trees/seas defender.
Unearthly Wails is a special edition, a collection of poetry
illustrated by renowned Ojibwa artist Terry McCue.
Email: HalterBooks@gmail.com to order
