Just Out of Reach (Edges of their Ocean)

was on some tropical island
where tourists go
and saw an inlet along the beach
where they used net walls
to show their trained dolphins

you asked me if I wanted to see the dolphins

I said no

and it made me wonder,
which is worse:

keeping wild sea animals
in total captivity
all of their lives
with man-made ponds
with man-made walls

or training wild sea animals
in captivity, and then taking them
to the edges of their ocean
putting up man-made walls
right up at the beachfront
giving them their water
so they can look out
at what they're missing

as we walked away along the beach
I saw a trainer on a platform
guide a dolphin
as it flipped through the air

and I thought

let an infant lick a lollipop
then pull it away

even after they've stopped crying
even if they're used to what they've got
all they can do now
is stare at that lollipop
just out of reach

Submited by

Miércoles, Mayo 4, 2011 - 15:04

Poesia :

Su voto: Nada (1 vote)

ccandd96

Imagen de ccandd96
Desconectado
Título: Membro
Last seen: Hace 5 años 51 semanas
Integró: 05/03/2011
Posts:
Points: 1041

Add comment

Inicie sesión para enviar comentarios

other contents of ccandd96

Tema Título Respuestas Lecturas Último envíoordenar por icono Idioma
Fotos/Otros the Guards and Cannons in Stockholm, Sweden 0 8.218 05/31/2011 - 20:51 Inglés
Fotos/Monumentos the Statue of Liberty 0 4.102 05/31/2011 - 20:48 Inglés
Fotos/Arte Sparkler designs around a Guitar 0 4.727 05/31/2011 - 20:45 Inglés
Fotos/Otros an urn at an outdoor hall at the Summer Palace (Beijing, China) 0 5.303 05/31/2011 - 20:43 Inglés
Fotos/Monumentos a Marble Boat on the water at the Summer Palace (Beijing, China) 0 23.844 05/31/2011 - 20:41 Inglés
Fotos/Arte a Wall of Headless Buddhas at the Summer Palace (Beijing, China) 0 3.343 05/31/2011 - 20:39 Inglés
Fotos/Naturaleza a sign at the bamboo trees saying "don't walk through the bamboo" at the Summer Palace (Beijing, China) 0 9.425 05/31/2011 - 20:36 Inglés
Fotos/Otros looking up at a part of an ornate building with many signs at the Summer Palace (Beijing, China) 0 4.833 05/31/2011 - 20:33 Inglés
Fotos/Naturaleza a Gazebo across the water at the Summer Palace (Beijing, China) 0 4.709 05/31/2011 - 20:29 Inglés
Fotos/Naturaleza Snow on the Trees 02/06/08 0 4.955 05/31/2011 - 20:26 Inglés
Fotos/Arte a Smoke Stack and a dead tree in Wisconsin 0 4.584 05/31/2011 - 20:24 Inglés
Fotos/Otros a Shanghai (China) building in the early evening 0 4.444 05/31/2011 - 20:22 Inglés
Fotos/Otros Shanghai (China) buildings (2) 0 14.884 05/31/2011 - 20:20 Inglés
Fotos/Otros Shanghai (China) buildings (1) 0 3.619 05/31/2011 - 20:19 Inglés
Fotos/Paisaje Shanghai (China) buildings and the Oriental Pearl Tower 0 5.758 05/31/2011 - 20:16 Inglés
Fotos/Otros the Seattle Space Needle (Seattle, WA) 0 3.816 05/31/2011 - 20:12 Inglés
Fotos/Otros the Sears Tower / the Willis Tower (Chicago, IL) 0 6.180 05/31/2011 - 20:10 Inglés
Fotos/Arte a Scar Bruise 0 6.156 05/31/2011 - 20:08 Inglés
Fotos/Naturaleza Sea Lions on the beach on the Galapagos Islands (Santa Fe Island 12/24/07) 0 6.456 05/31/2011 - 20:07 Inglés
Fotos/Naturaleza a Lava Lizard on the Galapagos Islands (Santa Fe Island 12/24/07) 0 4.668 05/31/2011 - 20:05 Inglés
Fotos/Naturaleza a Land Iguana on the Galapagos Islands (Santa Fe Island 12/24/07) 0 4.814 05/31/2011 - 20:02 Inglés
Fotos/Otros a door with no stairs in old St. Petersburg Russia building 0 6.308 05/31/2011 - 19:58 Inglés
Fotos/Otros a Cannon on display in St. Petersburg Russia 0 6.016 05/31/2011 - 19:46 Inglés
Fotos/Monumentos some of the ceiling interior of the St. Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg Russia 0 4.589 05/31/2011 - 19:43 Inglés
Fotos/Monumentos the Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg Russia 0 15.353 05/31/2011 - 19:40 Inglés