Grandma’s stories

I loving hearing grandma’s stories

she often talks of the ocean.

A wonderful escape

to the place draped in blue.

Hearing the whisper of the waves

in the crystal clear water.

Mysterious creatures.

A humpback whale

oh, what a lovely song he sang!

A sea otter

how he caressed his young.

Scuba diving into the warm waters.

The multicolored coral down below,

filled with millions of fish.

A group of gobies and

look, a clownfish!

I tried to imagine all this

but I simply could not

I only saw the bleached white coral.

I only saw the hundreds of fish

losing the fight against pollution.

I could only see the skeleton of a whale.

I only knew of the ocean

too acidic to swim in.