Oiltown, Mexico
'Twas just past noon Tampico time
When they pulled him from the skiff.
His shirt was ripped clear to his neck,
His arms and legs were stiff.
They say his wife had borne a son
That he had never seen
'Course she was but a child herself,
She had just turned nineteen.
He'd left his home in Roatan
To make his living here
As mate, and a good one too,
That much was very clear.
I guess the worst mistake he made,
Those near him seemed to know,
Was crossing the river, one more time,
To Oiltown, Mexico.
The slime and sludge and greasy waste
That floats out to the sea,
Keeps settling on the ocean floor
To poison you and me.
Its blackened beaches, rubbish-strewn,
Its rancid waters hide.
Both fish and shell long since have gone
From this dark murky tide.
They stood and watched, the kids ate corn
And sipped on orange pop.
And some few prayed, just for the dead,
Down where the ferryboats stop.
In not so long, the van was gone
Its body to deliver,
And sea gulls cried as they watched the tide
Go down the stinking river.
I'm sure it's best, this man was blessed,
Where ever his soul did go.
He must be in a better place
Than Oiltown, Mexico.
I am leading this diary with a poem my late father wrote during the time he was a tug-boat captain in the Carribean. This was during the years after his cancer from his Atomic blast exposure had begun to limit the types of jobs he could get, as he had to have surgery ever three months. His best poems were written on damp scraps of paper on a tug boat or a sailboat. This one was the most disturbing of all of them, because like all his poems they depicted real experiences and emotions.
While he wasn't an environmentalist, or an activist of any sort, he would have been horrified to see what has happened to his country. He loved the coast of Alabama more than any other spot on earth, and I'm here in South Alabama partly to finish pubishing his poems and write his story.
I can't look at the beautiful coastline in this area without thinking about how easily it can be permanently destroyed, and that's why these recent articles should be of concern to anyone who lives, works or plays on the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico.
................................
There's more on my Doublygifted blog:
Here's the key sentence that caught my eye:
"Florida's Washington lawmakers fear, however, that the inventory is just the first step to drilling off Florida's coast. That, they say, could put the state's environment at risk and hurt tourism."
And where are Alabama's lawmakers?
One of them is the sponsor of this legislation.
"U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Mobile, co-sponsored the legislation. His office had no further information Monday. "
Huh? Why would Sessions support legislation that is opposed by Senators from Florida who feel it will harm the beaches and ecology of the Gulf Coast?
A clue:
"The money would come from oil and gas royalties that normally go to the federal government; under the legislation, as much as $1 billion over four years would be split between six coastal states to compensate them for the "impacts" of hosting off-shore oil and gas production. "
Okay, let me see if I understand this. We are being compensated with money that would normally go to the Federal government in exchange for damages to our coastline? Our fishing industry? Our glorious beaches and vacation industry? What is this about, folks? I don't pretend to know precisely, but it stinks like a washed up catfish! Or dolphin. Or dead body.
I'm not done, but chew on that for a while. I'll be back with more good news from your republican friends.
Doublygifted