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WHISPERING WIND

10/25/2015

3 Comments

 
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Photo credit: Jake Rowell
​Whispering Wind
 
I heard the ocean roaring in the distance,
soothing the land in harmonic coexistence.
As I listened to its hymns filled with glee,
a wind blew by and whispered a message to me.
 
It said,
"Follow your heart,
open your mind,
or we will soon be dead."
 
Confused, I opened my arms up to the sky,
asking, "why?"
The wind suddenly grew cold and images flashed through my mind.
Cursing, I wondered how I could have been so blind.
 
Why is it that in blood we are drowning the seas?
Why is it that we are deaf to ear-shattering screams?
Why is it that we are plagued by greed?
Why is it that we cannot see the world bleed?
 
My face grew pale and my heart beat faster.
The wind rushed by and the ocean roared louder.
Finally mustering up my courage, to the world I said,
"Follow your heart, open your mind, or we will soon be dead."
 
But the world did not listen,
too distracted by how that shiny coin glistened.
The bodies of mothers and children burned in flames,
while we all killed each other wondering who was to blame.
 
Soon the world was covered in red stains.
Cutting into the azure sky were black scars from those wretched flames.
The wind roared through this barren wasteland and died out in shame,
while we still wondered who was to blame.
 
We constantly lived in denial,
unable to see our actions so vile.
The wind roared and roared,
and yet we still ignored.
 
The ocean, weak and barren, whispered one last time.
Acidic rain poured down from the melancholy sky.
I fell to my knees and screamed,
“Fools. Fools and selfish fiends!”

Then, I realized that there was nothing left to hope for
– I'mjust a body in a barren, bloodstained world marred by war.
The wind blew by me as I drew my last breath,
shaking and quivering, giving in to death.

 
As I rested in my coffin, the wind said,
"they did not follow their hearts,
they did not open their minds,
and now we are all dead."


Is it too late? Can we correct our erroneous ways, our war with ourselves and the rest of the world? Can we finally take responsibility for our actions and for our future? If not, we may as well start digging our graves. It is time to listen. Time to learn. Time to change.
3 Comments
Vicki Kunkel
10/25/2015 14:28:31

Beautiful and true Zach.

Reply
Sherri London
10/25/2015 19:10:30

Powerful words! Thanks For Caring Zack and being their voice. ❤️

Reply
Lorraine Garnier
10/26/2015 01:36:37

Zach,
Your poem resonated with me and will with most people who stop to read it. It is in the truth telling that we find change, and in the open hearts where we take action. Mahalo Nui Loa for your love and aloha for our seas. We are with you working to create change. I will not give up, as you. For them. Aloha.

Reply



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    BLOG by 
    ZACH AFFOLTER
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    Zach Affolter is a freshman at Humboldt State University, majoring in Marine Biology with a minor in Wildlife and Scientific Diving. He has been a passionate animal advocate since his first year of high school and has earned recognition from local and national media for his efforts. Zach currently is a Youth Ambassador for Dolphin Project, a paid writer at For All The Animals and was on Peta2's Youth Advisory Board for the past year. Zach has accomplished much in the activist realm, from helping to organize the largest protest for a captive cetacean ever to petitioning his school board to seek more humane and educational alternatives instead of holding field trips at SeaWorld. He also volunteered with Earthrace, for which he also served as a youth advisory, and Pretoma last summer in Costa Rica to protect sea turtle eggs from poachers.

    Zach also is a passionate writer/film producer and is currently working on two novels. One such book, "Breaking Through The Clouds," is about the captive orca Lolita held in an illegally sized tank at the Miami Seaquarium. He has written articles for local papers and well-established animal rights organizations, such as Dolphin Project. His efforts earned him PETA's Libby (for liberation) Award last year. Through his activism, writing, and video productions, Zach hopes to spread awareness about important issues, educate people about how beautiful nature is, and why it needs to be protected.

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