I based my poem off the statement released by SeaWorld after the death of one of an orca in January. SeaWorld is no stranger to controversy surrounding their orcas. What really stood out to me with the process was the close reading you do while making a found poem. As I read through, I was looking for what key words and phrases stood out to me. I wanted to capture the emotion I felt as reading this. While they may say one thing, their actions clearly show another. The fact that this death was in January, and as I’m typing this there is still no post-mortem exam results is alarming. SeaWorld has also posted blogs about how the wild isn’t safe for orcas anymore and its better to keep them in captivity. I chose this topic because something I’ve always been passionate about is our ocean. From sharks to whales to coral, everything needs our protection as the ocean affects everyone.
