JULY 15
A Sea Turtle
Early in the morning of the 15th of July
as I walked to the bar by the sea
for a cuppa “wake-up” coffee,
off to the side, where the lounge chairs were placed for the day,
a large group of people had gathered,
looking towards the sea just a metre away…
I immediately felt a strong tap on my shoulder,
curiosity for sure, as behind me was nobody else,
so I strolled a few steps to attempt to discover
whatever it was that had brought such distraction
to so many people sipping tea, or their coffee,
while having a smoke, reading news on their mobiles.
And I saw, floating on the crystal clear waters,
Aegean blue, cold and clean,
something oval in shape, off white in colour, and drifting our way.
It was brought by the wind by the shore’s gentle call
and ever so gently it reached our seawall…
Then one brave lady, whom I knew from the town,
climbed down the small ladder, and slipped in the water.
But by now we could all see quite clearly,
that the oval, white shape had been once a sea turtle
floating limp, upside down, so still and so dead.
Another brave soul, a young man that I see in the bar every morning,
jumped in from the seawall and brought up the carcass,
and we all looked to see if there was still life within it,
But we all soon concluded that the turtle was dead.
I don’t know what this means,
perhaps simply nothing,
After all every summer I live on the shores of the wide, wild Aegean
that kisses these lands and moistens the sands
where Hector and Odysseus left footprints eternal.
Many creatures live and die in these waters quite daily,
Some sink to black depths, others float to the shores,
today it was mine…
But it made an impression on me,
as I’m sure you can see by these words I have written,
life’s eternal, wise cycles, vindicate her wisdom,
no creature’s eternal in the land or the sea.
C.2024, Francisco Bravo Cabrera – 15 JUL 2024 – Izmir, Turkiye
NOTA BENE
This is a true story and it happened just as I have described it in the poem. It occurred in a small town on the Aegean Coast of Turkey where I usually spend my summers. It is a great place to enjoy the sea, go diving, sailing or just hanging around. Although one rationalises that sea animals (and land animals as well) die every day, it still makes an impression when they come so close to make you realise that life is death and death is life, somehow, some way. I really do not know how to express it, although I am a writer, but it did create an impression on me. Not of sadness, but of revelation. The picture above is the place where it all happened…
CHEERS
JaZzArt en València 
It’s always sad to see a dead marine creature!
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You are right on that Malc. Thanks!
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It’s the sea turtles ‘wake-up’ call. Maybe, coffee is not always enough.
Sad to see such a beautiful turtle this way! 😔
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Yes, it was shocking and sad. I was immediately reminded of the many sea turtles I had seen quietly and slowly swimming in the sea… And for sure, one cup of coffee is definitely not enough. Have a great Saturday and week-end Sara!
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Yes, such beautiful, graceful creatures.
Have a lovely day, Fransisco….enjoy ☕️🌻
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A vida nos absorve todos o dias, contudo a morte, sempre por perto, algumas vezes mais perto do que sempre, a morte ainda nos assusta neste susto de temor e ignorância.
Abraço e parabéns.
Google: Life absorbs us every day, yet death, always close by, sometimes closer than ever, death still frightens us in this fright of fear and ignorance.
Hugs and congratulations.
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Obrigado Gustavo. Eu concordo muito com você.
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Es el ciclo natural de la vida. De la tortuga y como bien dices, de todos nosotros. Un saludo.
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De acuerdo Segundo. Saludos y feliz finde.
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Wonderful sensory poem, Francisco.. I was hoping it might be one of your new style of paintings with a live sea turtle doing an arabesque in the sea. Sadly, the only time I have also seen a sea turtle on the beach, was a dead one washed up on the shore near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay at Ft Story, VA one Thanksgiving morning. It was a warmish (for Thanksgiving) and a few other people were on the beach playing tag with the waves. Like your group, they helped the waves move the adult size turtle further up the beach and determined that it was dead. I have seen live turtles swimming in the Gulf of Mexico when taking a sea plane from Key West to the Dry Tortugas. Magnificent!
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Yes, unfortunately we tend to come across these beautiful creatures when they wash up dead. I too have seen many, in the Mediterranean and in the Florida Keys. All the best Pat!
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Have a wonderful end of the weekend.
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Thank you 🙏🏻
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Great!
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Thank you!
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