Coral

Beneath the sapphire tide they lie,
A quiet garden, soft and sighs,
Where coral colonies gently spread,
Their branches like delicate lacework threads.

Polyps in quiet communion thrive,
Each tiny architect, alive,
Secreting limestone, slow and sure,
Building strongholds that endure.

In sunlit shallows, colours flare—
Reds of ember, blues so fair,
Greens that whisper, yellows bright,
A living tapestry, a coral light.

Fish dart through arches, arches wide,
Seahorses cling where currents glide,
Anemones sway in gentle sway,
While turtles glide in ballet.

Yet fragile as a whispered song,
These reefs bear scars where warm waters throng,
Bleached and pale, they plea for grace,
A plea to guard each sacred place.

Oh, coral, keeper of the deep,
Guardian of secrets that the oceans keep,
May we learn to tread with tender care,
And let your splendour forever flare.