The Great Barrier Reef

She dreams, 

and a spark of hope ignites. 

She feels 

warm tropical waters, her wetsuit - snug as a mother’s embrace, an excited heartbeat; 

steady, sanguine.

She sees

the humped forehead of a Māori wrasse, the wave of giant clam shells, a kaleidoscope of corals;

vivid, vibrant.

She hears

the chomping of parrotfish, the whisper of her own breath, a splash as she surfaces;

glistening, glorious.

She smells

the briny tang of the ocean, the lingering redolence of sunscreen, a hint of sulphurous seaweed;

fascinating, fresh.

She tastes

salt drying on her lips, a trace of her rubber snorkel, zesty ingenuity as she ponders the future;

promising, precious.

She dreams

and a spark of hope ignites.