Ghosts of the Gulf

Tonight, I hear them calling.
There are ghosts in the Gulf of Mexico.

Distantly, across the sands,
Restless, roiling beneath a darker sea
Rising on oiled waves
Then sinking, lost and lost again.

They slink and suffer, drown and wash ashore.
I search the beach and feel their spirits walk;
And hear their voices on the poison wind.

Their empty eyes are asking, pleading…
What fire lights the depths tonight,
And how long will our ocean burn?
Where will the souls of the sea sleep
And when will they have peace?

There are ghosts in the Gulf of Mexico;
Tonight, I hear them calling.