Call for Work--Gulf Coast Poems

(Sophie Staples, 2009)

This is my daughter Sophie on the coast of where I grew up, the Northwest Florida panhandle. I had imagined taking her here regularly--the spectacular beauty of this place as part of her upbringing, her psyche, her sense of connection to sum sings largess, our shared sacred.

Yet, I know now the beauty is indeed spectacular--scenic rather than systemic. Poet and activist Allan Peterson has explained to me that the Gulf ecosystem has long been sick and continues to be assaulted from many directions.

Meanwhile, the UN is now declaring that the entire oceanic system may be bereft of fish by 2050. The waters are not, in fact, larger than us.

What to do?

Jerome Rothenberg has described the poet's role as one of helping to preserve psychological and biological diversity. Poets for Living Waters is one such collaborative effort.

oil barrens

the sea turtle lives for 80 years bloggerissimo. a rock come alive.

the oil will barren this alive.

why do we want a world of rocks and no alive? because we're scared of no alive bloggerissimo. and in a terrible twist of hate, we're going to drive ourselves straight there.

Oil Barrens

If you want to help protect and, no doubt, salvage whatever possible of the Gulf Coast, you can sign up for local training.

Or sign on with the Red Cross.

end's fury hastens

this is a picture from. that soon once was. wee bird. snowy plover. to be licked with the tongue of Oil. the Oil Barrens.