This is my entry for Friday Flash 55. For lots more 55s, visit G-Man here and look in the comments.
Walking Into the Light
Photo by Asit Kumar/AFP/Getty Images
Brand new, they crawl from Earth’s womb.
They move toward the light, following an instinct born before man.
The siren song of the sea calls them home,
a place they have never been.
It’s the natural order of things.
But human beings are so disorderly.
Tonight, when they walk into the light, they will die.
Ft. Lauderdale Tries to Help
whew. heavy last lines there...better the light than the shadow...nice 55.
ReplyDeletemine is up!
Maybe they will, and maybe they won't!
ReplyDeleteBut this was a great 55 Patti!
I really liked it. This is what a 55 should be!
Thanks for visiting, thanks for playing, and have a Kick Ass Week-End...Galen
really, what an incredible feat of nature, that these little creatures would actually know what their first steps are! this was lovely, wished we could stay out of their way though! such a great 55!
ReplyDeleteIt really is tragic that so few of those little ones that are hatched make it.
ReplyDeleteNice one Patti
thanks for the visit :)
Oh dear...
ReplyDeleteYou are WICKED, Patti...
you were ever so gentle and then ...
hahahahaha..
EXCELLENT!
Mine is here
Have you an AWESOME weekend!
hugs
shakira
Wait. The turtles will die? Are people shining lights on them? Grrrr.
ReplyDeletevery moving 55. mine is up too.
ReplyDeleteThis one changed mood excellently.
ReplyDeletebeautiful perspective,
ReplyDeletei admire your unique take,
and
truly enjoy the natural flow of your words.
superb 55.
Smiles!
mine is up!
Fabulous photo ~ touching words. Your last lines struck me in the belly of truth. Poor little guys who never get to the water.
ReplyDeleteI'm up:
Friday Flash 55 ~ Silvia's Smile
We have this very same thing [well, kinda] here on the island. Each summer they have the endangered species releases. Sadly not even close to half survive.
ReplyDeleteMy 55 for the week, is HERE As always, scroll down past my Friday's Show n Tell to find it. Have a glorious day.
Being a fan of "Ghost Whisperer" I chose to read that last line in the reverse, "human beings....tonight when they die, they will walk into the light." :)
ReplyDeleteI lived in Ft. Lauderdale some time ago and I have experienced what you are writing about. Great 55. Thanks.
PG
So much hope as the little ones emerge, but along comes humans with their street lights and cars, and they throw out the whole balance of nature. Great 55.
ReplyDeleteMy sweet 7 yr. old grandson saw this happen in Trinidad where he lives and helped a man turn the little ones around who were confused by the light. He wrote to me and was very distressed that his mother made him go to bed (3 hrs. past his bedtime) before the last one was rounded up. Such a good heart- do we forget or what?
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting and your comments, everyone.
ReplyDeleteNot all the little turtle hatchlings die, of course. But it is estimated that only one in 1000 make it to reproductive maturity. The issue of light is just one of the threats to their survival.
Their instinct tells them to walk toward the light, which used to be the lighter sky over the ocean. That is a perilous enough journey, what with birds and other predators ready to pick them off before they make it into the water. Then they face hungry fish.
In our modern world of traffic and shopping centers, etc., the lighter sky is no longer over the sea, but instead over roads and cities. The little guys hatch, and walk inland, a sure journey toward death.
There are volunteer organizations all along the southeastern US coast who monitor the nests, move them if necessary, cordon them off for safety from beach visitors, form human barricades to gently steer the turtles seaward, and see them safely into the water. Then, they're on their own.
For more information on this effort, visit NESTS or Folly Turtles, just two of the many groups working to save this endangered species.
I feel for these little darlings with the spill in the gulf. They are already endangered...now?? Great 55 post and thanks for stopping by to visit mine.
ReplyDeleteWhew! Made me want to pack my bags, shut off all the lights and go someplace where only the stars illuminate the night sky. Sadly, there are so few of these places left.
ReplyDeleteMakes me feel like a baby turtle, somehow.
What a glorious glimpse of the natural order of things. Thank God for compassionate human intervention in a problem created by human disorderliness.
ReplyDeleteHow ironic that nature can follow the natural order of things and man can't. Great analogy. Nice 55!
ReplyDeleteIt's too bad that humans don't listen better to mother nature. Fantastic 55 my friend. Well done :) Enjoy your weekend :)
ReplyDeleteOh, I loved this post! How nice that people are trying to help these little hatchlings survive in their journey to the sea. This was a wonderful 55.
ReplyDeleteoooh! *shivers*
ReplyDeleteThat was some good writing, well done 55!
-C
I also can't resist saying- ooohh as the previous commenter. thanks for reminding us how fragile these little munchkins are and for us to be a bit more responsible so that human can continue to co-exist with animals.
ReplyDeleteThe busyness of our daily lives blots out nature's struggle to survive. Thanks for reminding us that we are responsible for some of these little guys difficulties. And, thanks for visiting my 55. :))
ReplyDeleteTouching. Poor little guys, already stuggling so hard to survive...
ReplyDeleteExecellent 55. Love/ Jo.
struggling...
ReplyDelete