Lake Erie THEN and NOW
as a child
summers were spent
at our cottage
on  the beach of
Lake Erie.
Clear water i could see the bottom.
as a child
i would take a bar of soap
into the clear water
and wash up,
shampoo my hair,
then take a swim.
i lived in the clear clean water.
collecting sea shells,
colored glass which washed up
on the sand.
when a storm popped up
we would have white foam
wash up along with a dead fish or two.
but the white foam came from
the angry waves.
the foam never lasted long,
and mom picked up the dead fish.
water was back to being clear and clean.
now we never drank that water,
or bathed in it when it was angry.
But it was a beautiful beach.

NOW...
Sad to say it is green slime.
i went out and took pictures of the water.
the beach is now Maumee State Park
and thanks to the stuff than
runs off into Lake Erie
it is green, and angry again.
Can't find a clean spot anywhere.
Warning signs are posted.
Seagulls still are walking the beach,
hoping for a crumb.
SAD....
Then and Now...