Ode to the Mama Loggerhead by Ron Callari

This year, I've volunteered with the Friends of Hunting Island to protect loggerhead turtles. The program called the 'Sea Turtle Conservation' program allowed me to overnight with a group of 20 volunteers on July 6-7 to actually witness 2 Loggerhead Mamas emerge from the Atlantic, dig a nest cavity in the Boneyard zone of the Beach, lay their sizable clutches [at which time they go into a trance, so we could get up close and personal] ~ then cover their nests to protect against predators, before trekking back to the sea [where we were able to follow them and pat their shells to wish them a Bon Voyage! ] Such a memorable experience witnessing this circle of life! So much so . . . I was inspired to write this poem and feature a photo taken by one of the volunteers.

Traversing high millennial seas,
Advancing from a prehistoric slumber,
Departing yesteryears, she fleas.
Precious cargo to number.
Instincts honed, eons coincided,
Her solemn gait measured, the Crawl,
Longitudinally guided, Latitudinally abided,
Digging deep for the nest of nightfall.
Translucent shells slip into incubation,
Her trance of purpose is her design,
Breeding Loggerheads, its next nation,
She covers, She turns, She resigns,
The sea beckons her homeward,
Until the next ovulation.

[Photo Credit: Kelley Luikey ~ http://naturemuseimagery.com/ ]