Beneath the shimmering surface of the sea
Lie tiny specks of hope,
Inconsequential fragments of life
That work tirelessly to remove
The years of smut and grease
Regurgitated by higher organisms.
Locked in the loving embrace of these
Forgettable and singular plant cells
This industrial detritus falls like snow,
Giant flecks of white that drift through
The aquatic depths of night
To settle on the floor as a blanket of sludge.
The countless pressures of ages past
Are unleashed with unconcealed contempt,
Contorting each and every snowflake
Into layers of chalk and stone –
Buried secrets that rise above the shore
To be reclaimed by a hissing, envious sea.
Ungrateful and oblivious
We pour our lukewarm bile into these