My best friend, the cotton bud

It is an ever-changing world we live in,

sometimes, it's not our fault,

just ask Charlie, the little seahorse

What that is all about?

His life among the seaweed

had suddenly come to an end, 

destroyed by all the pollution, 

he'd lost his home and his friends.

..

Charlie didn't swim that well

and needed an anchor for support,

ideally, somewhere he could hide

from all the fish that were all about.

Running out of options,

drifting helplessly at sea,

he stumbled on a disused cotton bud,

was this his friend-to-be?

…

He grabbed onto its shiny stem

and wrapped his tail around tight; 

his friend felt firm but soft to the touch.

Together they felt right.

Back and forth they traveled

at the mercy of the tides,

up and down the polluted coast

looking for places to hide.

Nothing lasts forever

especially when you live in the sea,

Charlie felt his friend the cotton bud

growing weaker at the knees.

If he could not have his support

what good would he be?

But he wrestled with the feelings

that he might need to set him free.

He wondered what would become of him

without his friend's company and support.

. ..

Suddenly, the waters changed,

the tide came racing in.

And with it came so much junk.

He could barely see at all with all the debris.

By pure chance into his path

came a bright pink attractive stick

with bits of seaweed stuck to its sides

he thought maybe this is it.

…

In that instance, he decided

it was time to change,

So, he left his friend the cotton bud

and grabbed onto the plastic straw.

Immediately, he felt secure

and could not believe what he saw

coming right towards him

Many other seahorses each clutching a straw.

…

Some were green and some were blue

yellow ones as well,

but none of them were pink like his

he thought, "I've done really well."

He saw his friend the cotton bud

drifting out to sea,

and realized that his world had changed,

from all the pollution in the sea.

…

Till next time, thanks for reading

Calvin