A girl walked up to the ripples in the water

The sea’s body surged forward to hold its daughter

Sand tickled her delicate toes

Bubbles emerged as the currents flowed.

She swam towards the castle on the waves

And explored the ins and outs of the tunnels and the caves

She can leap off the side and be embraced by the cold

The inflatable plastic world floats away as treasure unfolds.

But the world underneath is not as perfect as it seems

Not as many fish as a fisherman would scheme

Us humans are killing the life beneath the Earth

Despite being things that the land has birthed

Why do we need to overfish?

Why can’t we fish only enough to put on our dish?

Do we know the harm that we are putting into the sea?

Did you ever think that sea creatures have emotions like you and me?

We need to save the world we destroyed

We need to bring back the special beach moments that were once enjoyed.

Around the world, the beaches are filled with piles of litter

If we don't care for Papatūānuku she would feel very bitter

We should treat the sea and land like they are our family,

Turn that underwater world into a midnight-blue fantasy.

The land, sea and us need a tightly woven guardianship

We need to hold each other close and not loosen our grip.

Did you know that one piece of plastic can make a change?

If a wrapper covered your home, wouldn’t you feel that’s strange?

Kaitiakitanga means to take good care,

It doesn’t mean to leave sea creatures homeless and in despair.

If the whole world took action and took each other’s hands,

and looked out to the ocean, perhaps we’d understand

that the sea gives us life to live every day,

food to eat, air to breathe, guidance to not go astray.

And a few years later, to the sea the girl returns

The worries she held those years ago are now washed-away concerns.

The glistening water dances and welcomes her again into watery arms

Maybe because we were forgiven, because we stopped inflicting harm.

Salty, happy tears flow down from her twinkling eyes

To think that we properly cared for every grain of sand, every sunrise.

The sea is crying too, its currents invite her in to roam,

I dive in and swim once again, in the place that I call home.