The Reef
Down in the ocean blue,
Beneath the waves and shoreline,
On the ocean floor it lies,
With the deepest red hue,
As if by design,
It basks in its own dyes.
The reef sits, subject of renown,
Yet it slowly starts to crumble,
Inch by inch, mile by mile,
And as the reef starts to drown,
And we hardly grumble,
The reef dies across every isle.
As the ocean acidifies, temperatures rise,
And the corals begin to strain,
Their colors ebbing away,
Turning a stark white, facing a clear demise,
A pallid grey starts to reign,
And the reef dies. Its glory falls into decay.
But if we considered our actions,
Changed what we do every day,
From bikes to solar power, we could save every reef,
And maybe save ourselves from our own infractions,
The choices we make combined with what we do and say,
All have an impact, all create relief.
If we do not correct our mistakes,
The coral reef won’t be the only thing to perish,
From kelp, gulls, and manta rays,
To fish, sea snails, and water snakes,
We must realize what we are losing, and we must cherish
What we will all lose without a reversal in our ways.
With a change in our prodigal way of life,
The climate and the coral reefs can be saved from harm and strife.
