Disaster In the Gulf

I feel the Earth trembling

as Black Death gushes from her own breast

ripped open by manmade greed

and ignorance

always thinking he can conquer

and quell,

and outsmart

the natural order of things,

always choosing dollars

over tranquility.

And Mother Earth trembles

as her rich blood flows

into her briny ocean

where it does not belong,

Blood that has become poison

with chemicals and chemicals added

to dispense the unstaunched flow

and ocean and wetlands tremble,

and fish and wildlife tremble,

and all of the people tremble

at this dark unknown.

Who will save us from disaster?

Can we really save ourselves?

There are not enough dollars in the sea

or centuries in our lifetime

to undo This Great Harm.

~Kathie Adams Brown (May 16, 2010)

One Single Impression Prompt 116: Trembling

As the oil continues to flow into the Gulf of Mexico these are just some of the bird species at risk from "This Great Harm."