SONG OF SORROW
Beckoned to the swell of the whales in the water
their boisterous play with each frolicking break
of strength and endurance in their will to be free
the boat races on towards the whales in their wake.
Sporting an arch they dive under sea
emerging again for the bait they rise
lowered from deck hanging from hooks;
betrayed they came for the tempting prize.
The harpoon is thrust spearing the male,
his blood spreading across the waves,
and his mournful eyes on the female whale.
Her distress sends sounds into the deep,
below to the mammals of their world.
With her thrashing, slapping tail, it wailed
With soulful notes carried through the skies.
Upon the morrow, her tail now curled
is full of sorrow heard in her cries.
She swims alone as if seeking to find
the soul of her mate found in the deep,
and when the sea is quiet and still
one can hear the whale still weep.
____________________
Joyce E. Johnson (2014)
Footnotes: The above photo is not one of mine, but from internet images. The poem is a revised version from one I wrote many years ago. Although I loved the classic story of Moby Dick I am a strong advocate and fan of whales and creatures of the sea and the animal kingdom, so have often written poetry about them, or the inhumane treatment of them. Whaling is an old form of hunting that is centuries old when whalers hunted them for their oil and blubber, but is primarily banned today where it once thrived. More information can be found on the Wikipedia site here
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