The Whale

A whale beached upon the shore
Eyes wide with fear, mind lost in confusion
A choice – acted upon brought him here
But now present – regret sits in

A scientist comes upon the scene
Her whole life waiting for this moment
Drawing on experience, she tries to control
Hoping her effort will make the difference

Buckets are filled to drench the whale
Easing the pain of the magnifying sun
Food is furnished – the whale’s favorite fish
Food is comforting – to her it seems

But no matter how much she tries and tries
The whale’s anguish grows and grows
Stuck – just stuck – with no way to move
More effort from her does not equal results

She doesn’t want the whale to die
Not mind, not body, not soul
The thought pains her more than he is aware
Her life dedicated to his conservation

Both on the beach – emotions are high
Fear, pain and loss of what to do
Frozen in time, but inextricably linked
Just praying for the tide to come in