Poems, Tales and Images
Competition 2001 Winner

Artist Name:
Daniel McGee

Grade: 8th

School:
Milford Middle School, Milford, Delaware

Country: USA

Title: A Creature Often Forgotten

Date of Work: 2001

Medium:
Poem


A Creature Often Forgotten
Daniel McGee

As the sun starts to rise,
I walk down the dew stricken old pier.
Rotted from the ages, and the seemingly lifeless salt water,
But still standing as though to serve once more.
Sitting myself down upon the edge,
I stare out towards the abyss of almost total darkness,
An abyss of which looks as though it gave up years ago,
When something catches my eye.
A something that means life!
My eyes focus toward the ever so gentle movements,
Like a starving Cheetah on the hunt for prey,
However, only doing so out of fascination.
Watching for a few minutes,
Minutes that feel like ages,
I finally give up.
Which is when it emerges from the water.
A life form almost resembling a weathered rock,
Yet alive as it will ever be.
With such little light, it's hard to distinguish,
But squinting, and focusing on the creature,
I finally come to realization.
It is a creature like none other.
A primordial beauty.
An animal that has survived millions of years,
Still as alive as it was at the dawn of creation.
Yet a creature so frail,
That even though it seems untouchable,
Is still part of the delicate balance of life.
Every scratch on this animal's back reminds me,
Reminds me of its ever so difficult past,
And its will not to die away.
But, these creatures are so often forgotten,
Because of the pure ignorance of a species,
Our species.
Judging a book by its cover,
Maybe because it's not "pretty" like the Panda,
Or "smart" like the Monkey.
However, it is actually more beautiful,
And much more intelligent than our evolved culture,
Feels it should be, or recognized for.
But, this creature holds a part of my heart,
Which is why I have stayed and waited so long,
So long that the sun is now shining twenty times brighter then before,
But up until now I had not noticed,
For I was busy breaking the barrier,
And the pop culture,
And glorifying something for what lies inside,
The strength, determination, and radiating beauty
Of the Horseshoe Crab.