The Quest of the Tridents

In days of old, stood the protectors of the realm, Ocean protectors that stood strong at the helm, King Neptune spoke of a vivid dream, That perturbed him it would no doubt seem, His wondrous kingdom was under threat, And that action must be taken before regret, The honour was bequeathed to those who dare roam, Across deep ebony waters lined with bleached foam, And his coveted Trident he loaned the chosen three, On a gallant quest to see what they may foresee, Bearing the crest of ‘Tridents’ on each arm, Adorned with seaweed garlands for good charm, They set sail on the King's Trident, these valiant three, Towards where the sun bows to meet the sea They saw, Seagulls surfing the rolling waves, On a placard that read “Jesus saves”, Birds’ feathers anointed with unholy oil, Oceans where temperatures began to boil, Ballrooms of floating debris dancing, Unauthorised unnatural islands advancing, Accolades of human spoils, The cost of cheap labour and long toils, The carnage of radioactive waste, Not a recommended aftertaste, Food chain, marine life on a diet of microplastic, Fish strangulation from Covid mask elastic Stunned into silence, how can this be? Far more plastic than fish in the sea, Then there is the rubbish that lays deep down, Is there a willing cleaner in town? They will inform the King that it’s not yet too late, To put a halt to this catastrophic state, Their next mission ‘the sharing of truth, let’s make change’ And the King's Trident glowed at this exchange, So back they sailed on the glowing Trident, First mission completed, hope enlightened, The glow did cause some distraction, Was it due to radioactive reaction? And from lands afar you can hear the Tridents sing, As they return with hope to their beloved ocean king. Date: 13/1/23 Metrical Tale Poetry Contest Sponsor: Hilo Poet