Wonderous Sea's Night Dive
by Michael Doyle

At the end of the day comes the night dive
To find that at the bottom, it's the tiny
That somehow manages to keep us all alive
The millions of phytoplankton are lights, however tiny

Every other breath that we will ever take
This comes thanks to the oxygen phytoplankton makes
As these breath in carbon dioxide and make oxygen
This is the gift of life given again and again

Zooplankton is found best shining in the night
From the very depths of the ocean under the moonlight
These comb jellies and others are incredibly delicate
Shining like constellations seen within an ocean, sedate

More people have walked on the orbiting moon
Than have seen the ocean's floor; or are willing anytime soon
We know more about the Moon than the ocean's floor
And yet it is part of our home that we cannot long ignore

It seems odd and hard to think on and embrace
How little we know about the Earth's inner space
With millions of species left to find and more
Just a few miles off from our sandy sea shores

Time overextends, creating a need for a safety pause
It's part of travel into inner space and its laws
That must be obeyed to avoid bends and decompresses
Yet, just 15 feet down at night leaves quite an impression

Sea turtles coast as these swim and drift by
From downside up, it's as if these can secretly fly
In darkness, there is focus, and the familiar looks new
The colors appear more vibrant as if somehow more true

Slowly moving basket stars are different as we look and see
With no eyes or brain, it somehow feeds very efficiently
Living life as if they are not missing a single thing
Though living quite differently, they have their everything

Enigmatic chance encounters of love and life's tug-of-war
And then there is that maybe something just a bit more
As life meets life along the light of the ocean's edge
Where a chancy balance teaches about life beyond the ledge

In nature's balance, it is important to knowingly reach
When the reefs are healthy, all life might teach
Are the lessons that we learn in balance and teach us all
The very lessons that we all need to know and vividly recall

(c) May 8, 2023  Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved