Dane Ann Smith-Johnsen Poet Acrostic

Please Save Us Manatees

PLEASE SAVE US MANATEES
     By The Poets Listed After the Poem

Practically perfect people in speedboats tease us manatees.
Long ago, as “mermaids,” we could swim the seas free as the breeze.
Even though propellers have replaced natives' canoe paddles,
A manatee's underwater world need not leave him rattled.
Swimming slow through shallow waters we're not looking for a fight.
Each one of us is trying to live free from this man-made plight.

So we glide below the surface in our one-piece swimming suit.
As we splash along, with no G-string thong.  Wow!  That's really cute.
Vibrations we send you, saltwater salutations please heed.
Endangered you call us we're thrilled; safe passage is all we need.

Under shallow sea my little calf died fish hooked in her feed.
Scar so deep by human's deed, my baby gone in red-hot bleed.

Months of cold weather, inland, slowly, we travel warm rivers. 
Allure of warm waters, drifting, feeding, no chilly shivers,
Now, the government wants to remove our protective label.
As if toxic foe and loss of mild winter was a fable.
Tell our painful story now, by written word or moving song,
Each passing day our prospects dim-our future may not be so long.
Every person can take part. So, one and all please share your heart.  
Save us manatee take action now.  Search the web; find out how.


CONTRIBUTING POETS in alphabetical order:  Charmaine Chircop, Carolyn Devonshire, 
Robin Gass, James Marshall Goff, Barbara Gorelick, Sean Kelly, Ruben Ortellao, Patricia 
Prescott, and Dane Ann Smith-Johnsen

I would like to dedicate this poem to Carolyn Devonshire, whose favorite animal is the 
manatee.

Link to SAVE THE MANATEE Action Group.http://www.savethemanatee.org/action.htm
http://www.savethemanatee.org/talte.htm
http://www.savethemanatee.org/ta_miami-dade_mpp_8-09.html

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Anna-Marie Docherty October 7, 2009 at 12:54 AM A beautiful write which raised a smile with its cause and content....Poets have a place in this world to help speak out and get issues noticed - just as you have here, well done in taking that stance! Anna-Marie.

Doris Culverhouse October 6, 2009 at 4:21 PM good job, to everyone involved!!

Robin L. Gass October 5, 2009 at 5:27 AM This came together beautifully and I enjoyed taking part in this fun and worthy project in the company of so many awesome poets! Wonderful dedication to our dear Carolyn! Love, Robin

Barbara Gorelick September 28, 2009 at 5:36 PM Turned out great! thanks for sponsering this poem..it was great fun..and thought provoking. Ive always wanted to see a real live manatee. Love, BG

Charmaine Chircop September 28, 2009 at 6:41 AM i love Manatees Dane and all kinds of living creatures,im an animal lover and this is an excellent poem,thanks for creating this joint poem all of my friends here,a cry for safety for the loving creatures without s voice and with lots of love ..awesome and thanks for giving me the opprtunity to participate--love Charma

Carolyn Devonshire September 28, 2009 at 6:01 AM Thank you, Dane. I hope efforts to save manatees continue. I have "adopted" one throuth the Save the Manatee organization. He swims in Homosassa Springs and is named "Nick" because there are so many boat propellor scratches on his back. This is, indeed, a cause worth pursuing. Jimmy Buffet is one of the leaders of the effort. Love, Carolyn

Sean Kelly September 28, 2009 at 3:52 AM Well done again , DAS-J and all the troupe !! And I thought a manatee , was my old uncle having a quiet cuppa !!! ... And well dedicated to CD ....

Anthony Nutter September 28, 2009 at 3:14 AM Excellent write from a wonderful group of poets. Truly an enjoyable read. A. W. Nutter www.freewebs.com/abcedit