Poesy for change

I wrote the poem below as part of one of my Uni assessments. I’m not a poet at heart, but I enjoyed the freedom to write creatively about a difficult topic: climate change.

We live and play on the beautiful Sunshine Coast. It is easy to take our beaches, surf and coastal lifestyle for granted.
Climate change could change this peaceful living.
As Earth get warmer, the sea level is rising. Projections from multiple scientific sources refer to strong coastal erosion, possibly up to 100 meters of coast lost by 2100. Our much-loved surf breaks will also be impacted; some of the point breaks in Noosa may disappear.

Although this forecast is dramatic, we can take action to protect the coast as much as possible and build resilience.
These verses aim to raise awareness; to remind us of the beauty of our ocean, the joy it brings us and the danger of losing it.

Action doesn’t have to be difficult. Help protect our dunes, join a Landcare organization, donate to an NGO, vote for change.

Surf Checks

The track ends, my heart breaks
Months have passed, your absence remains
Tides after tides, no signs of your existence

Sparkling rolls in motion
Your grace feeds my obsession
Again and again, I replay your perfection

Raging foam hurting our shores
Sparing no land, leaving no sand
Your strength erodes our life, no mercy for your tormentors

Sparkling rolls in motion
Your grace feeds my obsession
Again and again, I replay your perfection

In the bays, we gather by your side, in despair
Weak, uncoordinated, you lost your rhythm
Your flow once, supported our dance

Sparkling rolls in motion
Your grace feeds my obsession
Again and again, I replay your perfection

God no more, shares a cup of his brew
Those words haunt my nights
I open my eyes, with your sight comes another day to fight