Who
What
Where
When
Why
Janet Kuypers
11/23/17 (leaving Antarctica, crossing the Drake Passage)
Who.
British explorers, then others,
looking for more ways to expand.
What.
They traveled farther than anyone
and discovered a cold, remote land.
Where.
As far south
as their ships could take them.
When.
Maybe two centuries ago.
Why.
To discover new land to claim,
and more animals to slaughter
for food and oil.
—
And in this unclaimed land,
ships from different countries came —
it was bitter cold, some died in their quest,
but they thought they found a natural treasure.
Giant whales were everywhere, so
slaughter anything you can find, get it to
the whaling ships to extract
the blubber and use for oil.
And there are so many seals here,
large animals that haven’t learned to fear us yet.
So with their impunity dozens of species
were almost completely decimated. What a treasure.
—
Who.
Twelve countries.
Eventually more than eighty,
but I think some were just trying to stake their claim.
What.
They signed an agreement
to make this one foreign continent
exist for maybe research, but only peace.
Where.
At the southern pole,
where days last half a year
and nights give us the Aurora Australis.
When.
Just over half a century ago,
when we realized we had to save
what we almost destroyed. And let it thrive.
Why.
Because when humans come
to a new place, the first thing we bring is battle.
So if we promise to leave it alone, maybe,
maybe peace can truly exist somewhere on planet Earth.
| 
