Poem by Deliska Pollara

-

Poem by Deliska Pollara

On October 13, 2023, Deliska, John-Tyler and Billie-Jo worked together to kayak a wayward ocean sunfish out of Wellfleet's inner harbor. Here are thoughts and a poem from Deliska who took the lead on this rescue

"I had been on all kinds of kayaking adventures before but never quite like this. I was supposed to guide a fish into deeper waters, so it wouldn’t suffocate. And I was and suddenly I found myself within 2 ft of one. Gliding through the water side by side with largest boniest fish in the ocean the Mola mola. This is inspired by that interaction"


Chasing the Sun with the Mola mola  


Gentle strokes left right left right

Gentle breaths in out in out 

Together we glide through the water

The sun illuminating our path

We know where we are going 

We are chasing the sun together 

We are chasing that bone depth warmth

The molas dorsal fin cuts through the water up down up down 

The mola moves a little side to side

I watch as it’s back covered in white catches the sunlight 

Mesmerized I get a little too close

I push out and away a breadth

I give the fish a little more space to move 

This becomes our dance in out 

Up down

Right left 

As we chase the sun 

the warmth 

Cutting through the waves 

Charting our own course together

A moment of time imprinted on the water 

In the light of the sun

 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Electric Torpedo Ray of New England

-
Image
The Shocking Ray of New England Blog by  Coleman Earner - December 21, 2020 Dead Torpedo Ray in Brewster, MA Torpedo Rays are a genus of rays that are part of the Order  Torpediniformes (electric rays). In reference to local sightings, the most commonly seen torpedo ray in the Cape Cod region is the Atlantic Torpedo ( Torpedo nobiliana ). They are cartilaginous fish (most similar to the structure of sharks and skates) with a flat and rounded disc-like structure. As suggested by their order, torpedo rays are most commonly known for their ability to discharge electricity of up to 220 volts from both pectoral fins (pectoral fins are flat and expanded and fused to the head area) as a self defense mechanism or as a means of capturing prey. Their feeding strategy consists of burying themselves under the sand and waiting for unsuspecting prey to wander by.  Dead Torpedo Ray on a Cape Cod Beach. Torpedo Rays feed mainly on benthic/pelagic fish such as flounders, damselfish, and o...
Read more
-
Image
NECWA Shark Week In Review Written by Emily Gerrior Intern Sarah helping at the blockprinting table. On July 24, 2024 and July 26, 2024, NECWA hosted two events themed around Shark Week. The first was at the Middleborough Public Library and the second was at the Bridgewater Public Library. For both events, we set up stations where attendees could make their own authentic shark tooth necklaces and create colorful block prints of sharks and other marine wildlife.  Free educational material for all Along with our assortment of diamondback terrapin, horseshoe crabs, and ocean sunfish artifacts, we also had shark jaws and a real fossil megalodon tooth on display.  Marine wildlife artifacts on display As soon as we opened the doors to both events, attendees poured into the room! The megalodon tooth and the shark tooth necklace station proved to be extremely popular among younger attendees. We also received several questions about our other marine life artifacts, which we w...
Read more

Ice Cream Social for NECWA Interns and Volunteers

-
Image
INTERN AND VOLUNTEER ICE CREAM SOCIAL AND FUN DAY   Written by Emily Gerrior Last Sunday (July 14 th , 2024), interns and volunteers were treated to an ice cream social, courtesy of NECWA. This event took place on the lawn outside NECWA’s Marion Field office. This event marked my first time meeting many of the interns outside of our weekly ZOOM meetings. I was also pleased to see many of the interns I had already worked with during previous NECWA educational events.  There was plenty of ice cream of all flavors to go around, served with reusable bowls and spoons, as well as popsicles, a fruit salad, chips, and cool drinks. After days of sweltering heat, it was certainly nice to have a cold treat!  Additionally, there were games for us to play. Some attendees chose to play cards and Jenga, while others participated in lawn games such as cornhole. We also swapped stories about NECWA events and successes.  Throughout the social, we had surprise visits from several (ador...
Read more