Great reef, you stand, defying monstrous seas
Which roar in salute to your stubborn stance;
Then sometimes in despair a sudden ease
To rest, gain strength, ominous, uneasy trance.

And in your labyrinth below the foam
An endless myriad of creatures roam
Brightly arrayed, life with a wondrous hue
A giant petri dish, a lustrous brew

What would this island be without this rind?
Built bit by bit by nature’s endless toil.
A salty wet wasteland bereft of all its soil.
But for this palisade, preserving peace of mind

Oh No! A weakness in this crust is found
Decay brought on by mankind’s quest for pence
The battlements are breached, no longer sound
Hurry, we must arise and flee from hence.

Great reef you stood defying monstrous seas.
Since life began you forged your grand stockade
Yet in a decade mankind caused your fall
Coin for nature unpoliced, unnatural trade