we cannot but chuse to hear
at length did cross an albatross:
thorough the fog it came…
samuel taylor coleridge
formed when sand,
silt & grains of clay,
scraped & torn away
by tenacious, taloned
fingers of wind, rain,
& glacial ice, from
sundry land terrain --
proud mountains &
defiant flatlands –
whose scarring
declaims like totemic
tattoos the lingering
injuries & damage;
join the downslope
creep of soil to be
carried by rivers,
streams & gravity,
deposited in layers of
sediment on the ocean
floor, in riverbeds &
swamps, mixing long
dead organic miasma,
the fossil remains of
plants & planckton
mixed with mud &
sand, squeezed into
source rock & heated
to the night temperatures
of the earthen crust,
bearing the downward
press of a hundred
thousand years, the
transforming weight
that releases kerogens --
the black waxy crude,
or natural gas -- into
porous or fractured
rock, into subsurface
pools – one of gaia’s
many seepages &
secretions – brought
forth from wounds
piercing her dermis in
spurts of black, thick
& tar-like fossil
fuel or small, light
effervescent carbon
chains timed to the
beat of her heavy
heart. like a blood
donor, she has given
much & often, has
transfused mankind’ s
movement & industry
but now bleeds
uncontrollably from
too many punctures,
bathing wetlands &
barrier islands in a
tide of oozing crude,
smothering an entire
generation of shrimp
& crab, smothering
dolphins, whales &
turtles, poisoning fish
turning diving birds –
gannets, pelicans
frigates. & sanderlings –
into flightless, oil-soaked,
drowning birds. can we
not read the portents,
the omens? have we
lost the gift of auspicy?
the higher the bird flight
the more favorable the
omen but flightless
birds portend certain
doom. can we not see
as one with a glittering
eye? see for endless
days & nights the curse
in the eyes of the eleven
deep water horizon dead.
must we wander in our
guilt this earth to tell
any & all who might
listen that god glories
life over greed, loves
all things s/he has made?
or will we remain the
unwitting prizes of
yellow-haired, red-lipped
life-in-death
©Joseph McNair;2010
G-d created nature. Because nature was created by G-d, it is basically not ours to control.
ReplyDeletePeople nowadays, however, believe that they can do what they want with the world today. They believe that they have control over everything.
We can see this control through many things that go on in this world- especially with the oil spill. These creatures as you can see on the picture above, are suffering because of this.
Hopefully, as time goes on, we can realize what we are doing with these creatures and change what we are actually doing ourselves.
to me this sums up the oil spill exactly! gallons upon gallons of oil are spilling out each and everyday going into the 59 day into the oil spill crisis. it is unmeasurable how much we have damaged marine life, everyday there are news stories of birds and other sea creatures coated in oil so thick you can hardly make out what species they are. i know that the president has gone above and beyond what he can do for the situation but i honestly think BP has not worked hard enough to try to permanently fix the issue. instead of just killing it completely they were looking for ways to cap it but still get oil out of the spill. how can they possibly still think of wanting to get oil out of the situation when thousands are being affected and animals are losing their lives. the seafood industry is losing thousands of dollars everyday because they cannot get seafood that is unaffected by the oil spill. i think BP is going to end up going bankrupt and will no longer be in this country after this incident.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that this oil spill is still spilling is crazy. It's been months, why is this still occurring? What’s also crazy to me is that people are stilling buying BP gas. You would think they didn’t know anything about the oil spill. If we stop buying BP gas, then eventually they will go out of business. While I do feel bad for the people who are going to lose their jobs relating to the company, I don’t feel like this is the time to care. The company should’ve been more responsible. Now countless generations will have to pay for their mistake.
ReplyDelete“We Cannot But Chuse To Hear” is a poem that I feel all should read for it seems to bring to light the effect this oil spill is having on the animals. My take on this poem is that the effect and problems of the oil spill are being told through an animal’s suffering. Too often, when disastrous events occur the animals are often the ones last thought of? Unless their voice is brought to life by another, people forget about the effect such events will have on the life and survival of the animal habitants of the affected area. I liked this poems descriptive words for it allowed the poems point to come across as well as allow me to draw a mental picture of this tragedies effect on the animal life.
ReplyDeleteThe whole oil thing (spill) has gotten out of hand. This is like one of the things that get everyone saying this is the end of the world. The oil spill disaster will forever be here for all our kids and even grandkids. This oil is not only messing up our water but our food and essentially our lives. Why are people so greedy and not worrying about other people’s pains? Have we lost our sense of humanity? Bp has a lot of blame on them and I do not blame people for ding that because in fact it is their fault and greed that got us in this predicament.
ReplyDeleteThe oil spill in BP seems to be getting worse by the second. The solutions are limited but the devastation is limitless. Not only is this disaster devastating at the moment but the long terms affect are devastating as well. As we all see on television the animals are covered in a brown, thick, mud like substance. We all see this same strange substance washing up on the shores of beaches and layered on the seafloor.
ReplyDeleteWe as a human race have to release that we must protect nature but instead we have been doing the exact opposite. It is high time that we learn that we have a duty to protect nature and the earth. We have failed at this because of greed. The greed that consumes us is profit. We do any and everything to make a profit but look at where it has gotten us. We are in a recession and have the worst environmental disaster in history.
This poem speaks loudly of the pain, the injustice of what is happening to the land, the earth we live in. The damage that greed and power hungry individual have sacrificed our world for their temporary pleasures. We are changing the evolution of our world and not in a good way. This oil debacle has made me realize that man does not have all the answers but we sure know how to create a disaster. We can be to arrogant and with that arrogance comes the selfishness . The suffering of the animals – birds, sea creatures – is of ginormous proportions. The families and lives affected is massive. Who knows the real calamity of this situation? No one does – the effects will be for decades to come. The irony of this is that if we want BP to pay for this we must make sure they don’t go out of business. I am also upset at how the people is projecting blame on the President. Really, what more can he do? I understand that they are upset, we all are and they need to stay focus on the problem at hand and don’t make idiotic remarks.
ReplyDeleteThis Poem is about the oil Spill that messing up the land and the earth. This thing makes a lot of people asking is it the end of the world? But is GOD the one that created nature? Because if it created by GOD, it is not our responsibility to control. People nowadays think they can do anything they want to do and don't even think about the end results. We are in a deep hole and we to find a way out.
ReplyDeleteThis poem touches light on the recent oil spill. Due to the oil spill alot has changed, and in a bad way. Animals have been harmed, and many dead. The ocean isn't the same anymore. The whole demeanor of our planet is changing. Many things are happening, like the many earthquakes back to back. And now the recent oil spill is now added to our many troubles. Families are even being affected. Many jobs lost, and loves one's lost also. This oil spill has added a horrible impact on our animals, our land and our food. The economy takes a roll in it, due to the seafood industry. Not enough supply, prices go upIt has even brought a negative attention to the beaches in South Florida. This has added alot of pressure to BP. People are looking to BP to "fix" the problem. Who know's how long it will take. This was a massive oil spill...there shouldn't be any fingers pointed out to specifics. This should be a nation thing. We should come together, and we shall work together to continue to fix our world. Regardless, the oil spill has and is continuing to affect the whole country.
ReplyDeleteIn the poem "we cannot but chuuse to hear" the author is discussing the oil spill thats pouring in our helpless ocean. Today June 1, 2010 marks the 72nd dat that the oil has been spilling uncontrollably in our oceans.
ReplyDeleteSome people thinks this is a sign stamping the end of the world is soon to come. This disaster is threatening our ocean and our wildlife. The poor helpless animals are suffering because of the disaster Bp has caused.
Watching the news its almost impossible to determine an approximate estimate of how much oil has poored into the ocean. The company has lied several times about the "numbers". I believe thaty is a sign of how much they don't care if they are unwilling to tell the world the truth.
This is not an issue that will dissapear over night. To stop this disaster, we as a world must first make a change.
Its sad to see nature be distroyed by people that doesnt care if any animals or natural living things are damaged. Just like the oil spill that recently happened. Its going to effect alot of things and mess up the cycle that was suppose to keep the food chain going. Theres been rumors that a possible hurricane might have some affect on trying to clean it up... i hope they take care of this problem soon.
ReplyDeleteThis poem translates the exact situation that we face every day. God has created the nature so any animal including human being could live confortably. Unfortunately,we take control of the nature by abusing it at the extrem. By reading this poem, I get a clear vision of the effect that the oil spill has on us, on our petty creatures.I think that it is time for us to stop exploiting the nature without trying to protect it.This poem expresses clearly the pain of nature.
ReplyDeleteWe cannot but chuse to hear...
ReplyDeleteThe poem talks of the formation of the seas and oceans. The beauty of the slow and everchanging face of the underwater world. The life it holds and supports and breeds. The selfless giving and generosity of the seas that for thousands of years have been here and will be here long after we're gone, that is, if we don't destroy it first.
The innocent wildlife is what effects me the most about this catastrophe. The millions lost in tourism, the jobs lost in the coastal areas is all tragic, but pales by comparison, and we are aware of what is occuring and know that we did this to ourselves, that maybe with perseverance, we may get BP to shell out some cash for assistance, but the wildlife did not ask for any of this, and innocently, they dive into the water for food and get entangled in oil. The dolphins swim to warm waters and find themselves drowning in oil. The devastation will affect the environment for generations to come they say and the poem captures the angst of this wrong, just right.
This poem is about oil spill. It amazed me how sometimes we are going beyond what to do and nothing is being done. When stated "must we wander in our guilt this earth to tell any & all who might listen that god glories life over greed, loves all things s/he has made?", to me it means that if you re didn't create it you can't fix it. We must face it this is the end of the world like it or not. This world has been through a lot just like we have been through a lot. Only the Creator of the Universe could make chances. Even if we try, it might work foe a while but itr won't last. Due this oil spill, lots of seafood company are losing money. The oil spill is not the only problem. We have been in hurricanes, earthquake and more. Lots of things have been lost and that includes lives.
ReplyDeleteAt first, I see picture of a turkey. Then, it talks about a girl who gives blood most often, Now, this girl is bleedin incontrollably from too many punctures. Also, it talks about dolphins, whales, et turtles, poisining fish whish is not good at all that turns in diving birds, pelicans frigates. it explains also about how the bird fly. Finally, it says that they cannot see with only one eye and says that she has the glory of God on all things.
ReplyDeleteWe cannot but chuse not to here...yet all of this time we as people have been stuck in our own ignorance. Allowing ourselves to be blind sided by only with what we want to see. This terrible oil spill has been one of the most horrific events that has happened in The United States so far. For Mother Nature will soon be no more because we choose to take her for granted instead of praising her for the centuries of goodness that she has brought forth.Yet it takes a situation as this one for people to realize how precious nature and the lives of animals are. Now everybody wants to rush to the rescue. But what about before that...when animals were being caught up in fishing wire and the various hunk of trash that were being thrown into their homes. Or when trash would wash up onto the shores of beaches. No one cared then so why are they starting to take action now? Only because this time the horrific event(oil Spill)can't be missed.It saddens me because it shouldn't take a terrible event such as the oil spill or even the earthquake in haiti for people to come together to make the world a better place and to appreciate mother nature a little more.
ReplyDeleteThe affect, that’s affecting everyone and everything. This poem places a focus light on the oil spill of BP that’s affecting all living beings, from the human to mammals. God gave man the power over land not the sea but man-kind always finds a way to test the waters. Testing the waters now leaves us with a major disaster of oil crude all over the sea and land. Millions of gallons of deadly oil being gushed out into the water that’s spreading all across the world that will leave us in a bigger affect on us than before. Can man-kind learn from their mistakes or will it become worst over the years. This major oil spill will be an immeasurable fight to get where start from but we could never be where we started from, now it’s just finding a way to start to improve. Can “we the people” every climb back to the top from this slope fall we are on to substructure?
ReplyDeleteThis poem hit me verry deep. This desaster cut it down a tremendous gap in a wildlife,the animals are helpless,because of a human mistake. The ocean,also suffers this disaster.Some families which survive from the food,their lifehood it is part of the ocean are in big danger.The beaches would be forced empty by the people. The sad part is ,that this catastrophe does not going to end overnight. This scar is going to take place in the sadness of the human mistake.
ReplyDeleteI find this poem to be very powerful. The way it describes the situation or home is victim of makes this writing mind-boggling. The use of anthropomorphism makes us feel sympathy for our planet Earth. It describes how our home is "bearing the downward press of a hundred thousand years", how "she" has been 'wounded' yet her "heavy heart" continues 'beating'. Her altruist yet calamitous state is highlighted when it says, "she has given much & often, has transfused mankind’ s movement & industry but now bleeds uncontrollably from too many punctures". The title makes us think we cannot but choose to hear her plead for mercy. The earth is a reflection of God's glory, He loves the work of his hands and we must love it as well.
ReplyDeleteThe poem is referring to the oil spill that is polluting our waters and killing the helpless animals that cannot defend them selves. The water is now thick and full of oil and it seem that everyone is sitting still. That there is more people talking about what can happen then what will actually happen. The poem speaks to me with pain and trauma because the ones that are supposed to be helping this world seem to be the ones that our hurting it. Everyone is pointing fingers instead of looking for a solution and that what makes it sad. That with everything that is already going wrong that there is still enough time for more thing to happen, I believed this marks the end of the world as we know it.
ReplyDelete