By The Sea

Mystic Of The Sea

Ancient mystic of the sea, gentle giant of intelligence and grace,
You are a symbol of peace and hope for the entire human race.
Once you were feared and hunted, thoughtlessly tortured and killed;
Nearly on the verge of extinction; man continues to harm you still.
Although there are laws to protect you, and now you are loved and adored,
Man still does not realize the end he is pushing you toward.
He pollutes the oceans and beaches with oil and chemical spills,
toxic poisons, garbage and trash, not caring what or who it kills.
When you raise your head from the waters and gaze upon the land,
do you weep with anger and despair for the ignorance of man?
Are you saddened by man's carelessness? Is this the lonesome song you sing?
Pitiful cries that go unanswered; the very thought makes my heart sting.
What if someday man could finally hear your song?
Would you teach us how to live in peace? Would you tell us we've been wrong?
And could you ever forgive us? Could the injustice ever be mended?
Peace between man and nature; the balance that God intended.
Oh wise and enduring whale, in your tranquil watery world,
perhaps in time, by learning from you, our ailing planet could be cured.

Š1997LCD

I have always felt a deep respect for nature. Since I was a child, I have enjoyed a walk in the woods or a stroll on the beach more than anything else. There is such a powerful and indescribable feeling that washes over me when I open my mind and my heart to take in the true reality of my surroundings. I'm talking about clearing your thoughts and simply absorbing what is really going on all around you. Imagine sitting on a secluded seashore. There are seagulls overhead, you can hear their squawking. There is a breeze blowing. You can feel the wind against your cheek. There is a bright shining sun high in the sky, very very far away, radiating it's rays down upon you. Feel it's heat penetrating your skin and heating the sand under your feet. There's a starfish in the moist sand under a shady rock waiting for the tide to carry him back in, there are trees and plants growing and breathing, there's a fish under the water, nibbling on a strand of kelp, there are dolphins jumping and playing, there are mother whales nursing their calves, there are birds flying and searching for food, maybe bringing some back home to their babies. There are crabs scurrying over the sand, there are muscles in their shells trying to dig in deeper as the salty waves continually wash back and forth over them...

Everyday, there is life happening all around us. Every living thing is busy with the business of life. We are all here, doing the same thing at the same time and yet we each are concerned mostly about ourselves. I alone, know what it's like to be me, and you alone, know what it's like to be you. But we are all here together sharing this planet. Each creature knows what he must do. We all have a mission and we each wake up again every morning and continue to live. When I think about so many other creatures in this world, born into it just like me, with their own lives to lead, I feel so small and insignificant. Yet there must be some reason why each one of us was placed here.

A couple of times in my life, I have been moved to tears by an incredibly powerful and overwhelming emotion. The emotion was Awe. I remember feeling this way as I descended to the ocean floor on my very first scuba dive. It's hard to explain but I was just suddenly aware of how precious and fragile our environment is. At first I felt such happiness to be experiencing unspoiled natural beauty. I felt so appreciative of the delicate coral formations and the fascinating and interesting animals I've seen and learned about. The brilliant bursts of color all around me were breathtaking, the fish swimming near me were like brightly painted jewels, sparkling in the depths. I was thrilled and amazed at what I saw. I felt anxious and eager to make plans to start diving regularly so I could enjoy and appreciate this beauty even more. And as my thoughts raced, I suddenly began to feel sorrow. Afraid that this won't always be here. Knowing in my heart that nature is being destroyed by humans on a daily basis. The oceans are being polluted and poisoned each and every day with our waste and garbage. I was face to face with some of God's most beautiful gifts, and it made my heart ache. Because I knew that these plants and animals are slowly suffering. Because of careless humans, they may not survive.

Each species is important to the survival of every other. Each animal has a niche and a duty to fulfill in order to keep the balance. We must educate ourselves and teach each other so we can see the importance of protecting and preserving our endangered ecosystem.

I read something like this once and it made such an impact on me. Think about it, you might not really care much about something until you understand it. Once you understand it, you may come to love it. And if you love it, you will protect it. *sigh* That is just so powerful isn't it?

It is urgent to insure that we protect the plants and animals around us and preserve what natural beauty we have left. Each day, the actions of our civilization spoil and threaten the natural resources and very fragile ecosystem that sustains life as we know it. We humans go on, living our daily lives, some of us never reaching out to make a change, disregarding the pain and suffering all around us because it doesn't seem to affect us directly. But it DOES affect you. It will affect us all.

Imagine a planet without the animals. Do you want to imagine an ocean with no whales or dolphins? Or a jungle with no elephants, lions or monkeys?

My Tribute To The Ocean And All Its Majestic Creatures

Mystic Of The Sea