No More But Skin and Fur and Bones
The sea lion’s eyes were glazed in pain
The morning after the storm alone
I sit with him in drizzling rain
Our rocky shore, its raging depths
Provide the stark reminder
For tiny souls twixt life and death
That death is oft the kinder
Cori MacNaughton
23Mar2000
This poem was inspired by an incident when I was in college, and involved as a member of a volunteer marine mammal stranding network, run by WhaleWatch in partnership with Marineland of the Pacific in Palos Verdes. I lived near the beach in Santa Monica, and when one morning after a bad storm a friend and I were called out on the report of a stranded dolphin nearby, we met in the closest parking lot and began our search.
We never did find the dolphin, but we did find an emaciated baby sea lion, orphaned or abandoned by its mother, which was very weak and near death. I sat on the beach with its head on my lap while my friend searched for a phone from which to call the California Department of Fish and Game. It was sad that it had to be put down, but as it was clearly suffering, it was also the kindest thing to do.
I shared this poem with my meditation group shortly after writing it. This is the first time it appears in print.