Science Rhymes eNewsletter #24 September 2020

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Extraordinary Journeys: Jules Verne (b 1828, d 1905) combined science with adventure-fiction in stories such as Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea (1870). He said, On the surface of the ocean, men wage war and destroy each other, but down here, just a few feet beneath the surface, there is a calm and peace, unmolested by man. We now know that human influence reaches all the way to the bottom of the ocean.

To highlight our ocean's beauty, bounty and vulnerability, Australian students poetically plunged into the heart of the sea, sharing affections, awareness and our amazement. Below are six inspirational creations from our OCEANS OF POETRY collection for 2020 National Science Week's theme of DEEP BLUE.

But first, I'm sharing my response to a timely book from CSIRO Publishing about OCEAN ANIMALS.

When I first opened this book, it looked like a proper scientific resource with plenty of photographs and a handy glossary at the back – and it is. But it reads like a Talent Show! (continue reading HERE)

True Beauty
by A'isha

In the light of day …
Its waves convey an icy chill
Through foaming spray,
While thunderous waves
Rush to the shore,
Then peacefully roll away.

As the Sun goes down …
The ocean receives
The burning Sun, about to leave.
Then gradually comes the night,
Devouring that glorious, glowing light.

Sherwood Grange Public School, Merrylands, NSW

Pacific
by Callum

Crystal clear waves dance on the surface
Crashing and tumbling as they go.

Falling upon the shore,
And moving to and fro.

Beneath the shifting landscape
A storm is brewing,
A bountiful home for life,
A system self-renewing.

In the Abyss
Rests a memory of innovation.

A gentle giant gone amiss,
A reclaimed salvation.

This place of elegance,
Is also a place of power,
Moving millions of tons
In a fraction of an hour.

Grinding away at the cliff,
Stealing the rock and sand.

Crash and smash, swish and swirl,
Whisking away the land.

How alluring is the sea,
With all its quirky features.

It's nature's tidal dance,
And a home for many creatures.

The ocean’s beauty,
Now returns to the deep
Where it lives and it thrives,
And can finally sleep.

Adelaide Botanic High, SA

Ocean Waves by Anna

Waves are floating free
in the big dark sea.

Sharks are looking for their prey
and fish are swimming away.

Dolphins are having fun with the waves
and making lots of shapes.

The Sun is rising fast
and the kids are having a blast.

Sandringham East Primary School, Victoria

The Greatness of Sand by Sonam

Oh sand, oh sand, how soft you are!
On my feet, I feel you like a cushion.

Oh sand, how wide you are.
You hold my toes and you hold the ocean.

Oh sand, how strong you are.
Cooked in fire to make my glass bottle.

Oh sand, how fun you are.
I pile you up to make my sand castle.

Chevallum State School, Sunshine Coast, Queensland

Ocean's Drift by Ibraham

We are the ocean
where life was first chosen.
But now it rains plastic
which isn’t fantastic.

Put yourself in our seas
and see how it feels.
We’re starting to choke
and this is no joke.

We’d like some respect.
Want to see the effect.
Please be the solution
and not the pollution.

Barton Primary School, Cranbourne West, Victoria

Ocean's Eye

by Andrei

My journey has begun
To home I say goodbye,
I bid farewell to the sun
And seek the ocean’s eye

As the Southern winds blow,
my boat begins to sway,
I question, should I go?
Or is it safer to just stay?

My stomach begins to rumble,
The ocean’s beauty I crave,
I try to walk but stumble,
And capsize from a wave.

The seabed approaches me,
Or so I really think,
I step onto a squid which flees,
And leaves a trail of ink.

The water gets colder,
My teeth start to chatter,
The pressure gets bolder
My lungs get flatter.

I ignore the chill,
And search for my boat,
I mistakenly gasp
And krill fills my throat.

I accept my fate,
Surely I’m done
But as though to debate,
I’m saved by someone.

So happy to be fine,
I can say that for sure,
But since I’m alive,
Why not try once more?

Georges River College – Peakhurst NSW

Would you like to see your own poem on the internet?
If you have written a short poem about science, nature or the environment, send it to feedback@sciencerhymes.com.au for consideration to be posted on Your Science Poems.

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Best Wishes,
Celia

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