Sea Turtles
Year's ago on the big island
of Hawaii, I saw them,
on their backs baking in the heat.
Scaled flippers flailing continuously
in their desperate
motion to right themselves.
It irritated me to see them struggle,
and I knew they would perish.
But my boyfriend who grew up
on the big island
stopped me from
aiding the unfortunate marine reptiles.
The fishermen were old time islanders
Japanese, Portuguese and
local mixed Hawaiians
they had always done this to sea turtles
as they had been taught
and learned to before.
The scene ached for remedy and education
about there coming scarcity,
the year 1978
Still I couldn't understand
how people born near the ocean
harvesting its animals could allow
such cruelty and suffering.
My agitation became unbearable,
I wanted to flee
the awful sight of torture
flee the misery
and my static helplessness.
