Ode to a Blue Whale

In the ocean a blue whale sings
of what we are in doubt
we cannot hear what they say even though
their calls travel further than we can shout
do they hope we'll go extinct?
they are so few, 
how can they know what's in our hearts?
except we killed their grandparents once 
with exploding harpoon darts.

they live as long as we, they say
they know our ancestors roamed the sea
hunted whales for meat harvested oil
genocide they might call it in their tongue
a language we too obtuse to know are
as we pollute their ocean with our plastic
trash their quietness with our sonar
say how much we care as oceans boil
tell of despair with words romantic.

Richard M Russell (C) Dick Russell
                           2023