Polymeric Rhapsody

Is this the world that we created?

It's a simple question, but I ask myself it daily. It's a song lyric that rings true for every factor in life, be it famine, war, discrimination or the increasing prevalence of ocean plastics.

I've battled each and every day of my life. I've struggled with bullying due to being born with neurofibromatosis, a nervous condition which affected my ability to participate in sports and pronounce words correctly. It has led to the growth of several tumours on my nervous system, which though not dangerous, do make certain activities a rather painful experience. I've battled the loss of family, the loss of friendship and at times, the loss of myself. These are not challenges unique to me. But it's how we deal with them, how we process them which makes us individuals. Through my strength, I overcame these challenges and I have put those experiences behind me. 

My biggest struggle is myself. 

I now do battle on a different front. I live by the sea. I love the sea. The sea is our lifeblood, one of the foundations of humanity. It's the home for many creatures great and small. We wouldn't be here without it, nor would countless individuals across the world be able to forge a living from our wonderful sea. 

Everyday I go down to the beach, where I face a new challenge: Ocean Plastics. Every day, I bring home more and more. Why do we do this? Why do we treat our beautiful planet -our home- like this? 

This is something that I can't overcome. But this is the battle I now face. It's something I often face alone, with only the crashing of the waves for company. I don't do this for myself. I do it for everyone. 

But beach cleaning can be a lonely experience. The task is neverending, the plastic is smashed and torn, the pain from my nerves is often there... it's no wonder I find this such a depressing experience. However, I will succeed!

I am not a writer. I've never really felt that I could fit into this 'category' of people, as it is a skill that I sadly do not possess. But I feel that the time is right. I have seen horrible things. I have seen how we treat our wonderful sea. I have seen the pollution. We must stem our tide, for us, for our future and most importantly, for our planet.

Polymeric Rhapsody is a series of poems about plastic pollution and about how I struggle daily -often alone- as I participate in the seemingly endless task of removing plastic from our seas. 

Without the sea, we are nobody.