Sea Change

When I was an undergraduate student, my minor was Environmental Studies. A fitting field of study when you're attending the University of Oregon. One of my classes focused on Sustainability. We covered everything from fossil fuel usage to tiny homes, even getting to tour a community in Eugene that had a small community of tiny houses that served as a half-way home, of sorts, for individuals and families to get back on their feet after economic hardship. Truly an inspirational model that I wish we could see implemented elsewhere.

But I digress.

While taking this class, we read a poem called "Sea Change" by Jorie Graham. I felt so moved by the piece, with vivid images flashing through my mind that I felt compelled to write something in response.

"Sea Change" is an interesting poem with a unique style, but it paints a clear picture and encourages us to look beyond what we see. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend reading this evocative piece.

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"The permanent is ebbing."

There's a quaint little cottage on the cliff by the sea with faded yellow paint and white shutters. Abandoned sea shells line the window sill. The shutters bang against the howling wind with no one to come and shut them. The house gazes mournfully out toward the sea, whose waves crash angrily on the cliffside.

"...the body of the ocean which rises every instant into me...I cannot fail, the Saturday, early pm, hurling myself."

I hurl myself into the waiting abyss and take my last breath of blissful air. The sea embraces my descent, washing away my ignorance. I breathe in, accepting the pain of the watery world, trying to understand the consequences of our careless, greedy actions. My head breaks the surface.

When I look around, the clouds of jellyfish are empty grocery bags, the colorful reefs are bits and fragments of hard plastic. The world is dying and we are the virus. How we have remained ignorant to the telling symptoms of our Gaia's illness? Or have we turned a blind eye all this time, preferring to live in blissful ignorance?

The world as we know it is coming to an end, but not for the Earth itself. She will go on, recovering once we are gone. No, the world of Homo sapiens along with the innocent bystanders of the animal kingdom are being driven into the ground by our selfish actions. Is it too late for us to make enough of a change that we don't have to see the destruction of innocent life before choking on the gas emissions of our own making?

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When I originally wrote this piece, I was a little surprised by the dark turn it took. After some contemplation, I find that it's a fitting end. Given the stance that has been predominantly taken by our government and big stakeholder companies, it's not an ending that is completely out of the question.

That being said - I believe there have been many around the world who have been working to make the changes we need to see happen. Organizations that focus on ocean cleanups, reforestation, renewable energy, and wildlife and land conservations.

Some countries, as a whole, are better than others. I say that with a grain of salt as some of the changes we need to see are a little bit easier to achieve in countries with a lower population, but that doesn't mean that it's not possible for countries with extensive populations - USA, China, etc. - to make the necessary changes. It's all going to come down to us little guys, the individuals, rather than relying on our governments to make, and implement, the changes for us.