Welcome to the Advent Calendar Story Train, where you can read through 24 stories under the theme Surprise.
My name is Tasha and I’m a mermaid.
I like to travel the world and swim in the sea.
Sometimes I like to visit on land to see the humans and play,
But it’s Christmas so now I’m here to say,
Let’s hang the lights on the seaweed tree!
They glitter and shine so beautifully!
The holidays are a time of joy,
And lots and lots of toys!
The red one is so fun!
Oh, but so is the blue one!
The yellow one shines so bright!
The green one really is a sight!
There are so many presents all around,
They’re everywhere to be found!
Christmas is my favorite time of the year,
Just look at everything that is here!
Oh, I’m so excited! I don’t know if I can sleep.
Gently my body sways with the ocean,
And it calms me with its motion.
I let the waves carry me deep
Into a restful sleep.
When I awake,
I think there must be a mistake!
All the presents are gone!
It was all in my head!
Quick, I dive out of my bed.
I look under the tree,
But sand is present-free!
Where did they go?
I have to know!
I swim all around,
Looking, looking, to see if any presents can be found.
Leaving my room I find a real nightmare!
The coral reefs - they’re practically bare!
Once so vibrant and colorful,
They’ve turned white and dull.
The fish that use them to survive can no longer thrive.
Swimming farther I see a big mess!
Up ahead, there’s some animals trapped in some nets!
Abandoned fishing gear haunt the ocean,
Taking lives like witches to a potion.
Whales entangled in fishing line,
Turtles stuck in a crab pot.
These were never meant to be their traps.
As I swim on, the sight only gets worse.
I know I’ve swam straight into a curse.
Still without presents,
A shark graveyard greets me instead,
And suddenly I wish I was back in my bed.
Sharks without fins litter the floor.
Without their fins, they’ve no use for their body anymore.
As a tear leaves my eye,
I pray it’s not true.
Then I close them both shut,
So heavy like glue.
When they open again,
I’m shocked to see
I’m back in my bed
Where I’ve been this whole time!
It was just a nasty trick of the mind!
The presents are there!
Still under the tree!
Still glistening and shining bright for me!
But something is off.
I know it is real.
The threats that our oceans feel.
But together, we can help them heal.
These presents are good,
But they are not what we need.
We need help from our human friends
To start to make amends!
Our corals are dying!
Using reef-save ingredients can show we’re trying
To help them improve
And get back their groove.
Our reefs are being overfished!
To eat seasonably and sustainably would be a great wish.
Local seafood is great,
Especially when it’s in date!
Clean up after yourselves and others!
Do not harm my sisters and brothers!
Ghost gear kills many lives a year.
Cut up the pieces and take them away from here.
Bycatch reduction devices can help save lives.
So isn’t it worth a try?
Sharks need their fins
and turtles need their flippers,
So please don’t support these trades
Where no one can ever win.
Who would have thought the best present of all
Wouldn’t come from a box big or small
But from inside the hearts of millions on earth
To help save our ocean’s worth.
To read more of my stories, check out my author website at www.AuthorTashaHaight.com
Thank you for reading today’s story. The next one will be available to read on December 13th, titled “Well, Isn't It Ironic". This link will be active tomorrow when the post goes live.
If you missed yesterday’s you can go and read it here.
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