Why Are The Oceans Blue Poem by Jim Yerman

When I was young and asked the question why is the ocean blue?
There was a simple answer…one everybody knew.

The way the water filters the spectrum of sunlight holds the key…
the red colors are absorbed…while the blues are the ones we see.

I didn't realize how essential the oceans were back then…how vital for all life too…
I only knew there was a lot of water, it was fun to swim in…it was salty…and it was blue.

Now I know we need the oceans to live…it's a certainty that we do!
But here's something else that I have learned…the oceans needs us too.

They need us to stop polluting, stop overfishing…stop causing them so much distress.
They need us to help replenish them
so they can go back to doing what they do best…

Sustaining life for a host of diverse creatures that inhabit the ocean blue
and while they're at it sustaining life for all the people on Earth too…

I've learned the oceans are sad because they're dying…and they have a story to tell
that if we succeed in killing them…we'll be killing ourselves as well…

Now that I'm older I know the answer to the question is not a simple one…
but one I wish everybody knew
It's also how we're mistreating them everyday…
that makes the oceans blue.