by the sea..

I don't live near the ocean, but I do live just a few blocks away from a Great Lake which sure as heck looks like an ocean because it goes on forever. Well, at least to Cleveland.

I know the simple joy of sitting at the edge of the surf,sifting sand through my fingers and letting cool waves lap at my toes. All of the kids at one time or another have been packed into the car, their feet on coolers of snacks, for a cheap afternoon in the waves. I have taught 4 dogs to swim, even though I prefer the wade out and flop down technique for myself. I have gone to the water when I needed to think or cry without interruption. I know the cycles of the Lake from Spring to Spring as well as I know my own heartbeat. I know when the ice forms and when it melts and when it gets warm enough to swim and when it gets too warm to be a respite from the heat. The sound and smell and feel of the Lake is part of me. The sailboats and windsurfers and tugs are a backdrop to everyday life.

All of this chatter is just to say that I know how this would feel if it was in my backyard



and it keeps me awake at night to think of it. Every day, video of the disaster, of the pumping well like a severed artery, of beautiful birds slicked with oil and unable to fly. Every day, for months. The beautiful waves, the life within them, soiled by greed and negligence.

Wind. Water. Sun. They don't spill or kill or leave waste we can't define.

Please. What are we waiting for?

Please.