Song of the Humpback Whale

 

What is in your long song, your ancient song?

In the cold bays, North and South,

your pure tune revives in cavernous water-spaces.

Up here, walking, I hear your song always,

like a neighbor calling, or like children singing.

Your song says, "God is here!

The ocean is filled with light.

Man, the ocean home is well.

Sing for us in the air, Man,

as we do for you below."

Far below the crowd's buzz

is the infrasound, your song.

I need you there below, singing!

Your ancient tune courses with my heart's blood,

and makes more plain

my own dim voice, from an unfathomed ocean.

And I sing with you.

It is what I wanted to hear.

 

Annelinde Metzner 1983

 

In 1983, I wrote this poem and set it to music as part of my song cycle, "Legacy."  My intuition tells me that the whales are the history keepers of the world, and they are aware of all we're doing.  This event happened recently in Victoria, Canada, which reinforces that intuition.