Pressed Against Glass

The enslavement of highly sentient beings for amusement in zoos and aquariums and calling it research haunts me. This is a sonnet for beluga whales.

===================================

In crystalline depths, where whispers abide,

A sentient spirit, in ocean’s embrace,

A white beluga, in currents does glide,

Captured, displayed in a confined space.

Majestic prisoner of watery blue,

Echoes of freedom in sonar’s song,

An inmate’s tale that the waves construe,

Yet in those eyes, resilience is strong.

Beneath the surface, secrets unfold,

A sonnet penned in cetacean rhyme,

In the heart of ocean, a story told,

Of a gentle captive, lost in time.

Pressed against glass, a paradox thrives,

A sentient soul, of vastness strives.

after a visit to Atlanta aquarium with family

1-2-24