Tilikum | Teen Ink

Tilikum

January 31, 2014
By EmmaClaire0823 GOLD, Bay Minette, Alabama
EmmaClaire0823 GOLD, Bay Minette, Alabama
13 articles 0 photos 102 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Be the change you wish to see in the world."


He is stolen in the crash of frozen waves
Battering against his sun soaked skin
Spilling into his jet black eyes
The white churning roar of the foam
Isolates him
From his remaining family
He is blindlessly corralled
With deafening inaudible explosions
Exploding abreast
Succeeding in separating him
Overloading his senses

He breaks for freedom
From the rupturing tremors stalking him
Unaware of the impending danger
Sprinting towards the roar of the foam
It yearns to exploit him
He charges into the terror of enslavement
Setting into motion a flurry of prearranged action
A stretcher already unwound is lowered
Ropes break through the salty bubbles
Imprisoning him aside to the roar of the foam

His mother screams from the other side of freedom
Trying to break through and rescue love
The vibrations of her sorrow echo through the air
And ring in the ears of humans
Who choose to ignore the immorality
And lookover his family gathered
On the other side of freedom
For they refuse to abandon him
Refuse to acknowledge he is lost to them
Forever

He is harnessed into his stretcher
And lifted out of his home into the sky
The spray licks his face and clouds cover his eyes
He goes along the roar of the foam
Against his will
His family witnesses his kidnapping in horror
Unable to do anything but grieve

All he can do is listen
Family’s breaking hearts
Pain expressed through wrenching ballad
Sound of his home
Crash of his ocean
His mother’s voice
Her panicked, broken song
He will never come back
He is lost

His life void of meaning
Entertainment for others
Stolen
Contained in a tank of concrete
Cheers and screams
For doing a circus trick
Life void of meaning

He never forgets the sound of beauty
His mother
His family
His home
The cry he released when he realized
All is lost to him
Forever

He swims a hollow shell
Alone


The author's comments:
For more information watch the documentary, Blackfish or google Tilikum.

Similar Articles

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 3 comments.


marisamuse said...
on May. 24 2014 at 10:28 pm
This is an absolutely beautiful poem wrought with the imagery of pain and turmoil appropriate for expressing what Tilikum, and his family, experienced.  It breaks my heart, and expresses the sentiment perfectly. Thank you. 

on Feb. 4 2014 at 8:52 pm
deeplythinking GOLD, Orlando, Florida
10 articles 0 photos 24 comments
Incredible! Great imagery! The poem was deep blue, like the beautiful, missed home of the killer whale.

on Feb. 4 2014 at 8:40 pm
SlowEternity BRONZE, Big Lake, Minnesota
4 articles 15 photos 79 comments

Favorite Quote:
Love is like a wildfire; It knows no boundaries.- Em

One word: wow! I liked it! Nice job!