Breathing the Pacific

The Pacific Ocean has a force, strength, and beauty, all its own. Living near it, on an Island, we are always aware of it. The ocean and its shores, make the news for all kinds of reasons, most of them to do with the garbage we throw into its currents …

BREATHING THE PACIFIC

waves gather power
turn harmony to chaos
breaking tsunamis
of styrofoam packing

long susurrations
of blown spume
tumble broken boards
from tossed buildings

foam flies over black
crests under streamed cloud
rags of torn netting
ripped from fish-boats

riggings’ tremulous whine
stroked to shrieks
of whales and crustaceans
choking on plastic

To Bethlehem: ‘This little book is delightful, full of … poems on this timeless subject. … the most fun is the little prose vignettes of the common people in the Christ-child story. The slave who looks after the wise men’s camels, or the overworked maid at the inn who has to fetch water for the birth, and many more. A lovely gift for the reader on your Christmas list!’ Rosalind Adams. Available from Amazon and Kindle.

About Joanna M. Weston

Born in England, she is now living in Shawnigan Lake, BC. She is married to Robert, an accountant, and they have three sons, Andrew Jon Mark ... and two cats, Alice and Chaucer. Joanna has an MA from the University of British Columbia. She has published in numerous anthologies and in magazines in Canada, the US, UK, and New Zealand, such as Canadian Women's Studies, Convolvus, Endless Mountains Review, Grain, Green's Magazine, Prairie Fire, Spin, Wascana Review, CBC Gallery, and many more... Clarity House Press has published several of her chapbooks including: Berry and the Birthday Band (2010) One of These Little Ones (1987) – out of print Cuernavaca Diary (1990) – out of print Seasons (1993) – out of print Watch-night (2005) – out of print

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2 Responses to Breathing the Pacific

Francine Wallace says:

July 12, 2017 at 7:54 am

Yep, the plastic is hard to forget. We lived in Nova Scotia for 30 years, a presqu’île. Neighbors made their living from the sea and loved the sea for it; after some years of neglect, started to clean their area; however not to many read about or traveled the world to realize how much and wide the sea is hurting. We will get our ‘big flood’ some day, nature will respond to our sins.

Joanna M. Weston says:

July 14, 2017 at 8:03 am

We can all do a small part to clean the beaches (or roadsides) but it takes a changed way
of thinking. Many thanks for your thoughtfulness.