Waves crash against the hull of the enormous ship cutting through the sea.

Birds circle the deck, cawing to the people on board, unaware of the ship’s mission

to secure this small section of the vast sea.

Craving the riches locked deep beneath the seabed, the sailors fly the flag high

and it flaps briskly in the strong sea breeze, announcing to all that

China is here. 

Suddenly, a second ship appears on the horizon,

and tension mounts as the sailors watch and wait for the challenger to draw nearer.

Spying the letters USS on the cold gray steel, the sailors prepare themselves

for a long-lasting stand-off at sea, so far from their homes.

Is this fight for them, for their families, or is it

a political battle?

Citizens of smaller nations become stranded on their coastlines,

prevented from using the sea that provided for generations

but now is dominated by greedy seekers of oil.

The people are as powerless as driftwood, controlled by a stronger force,

unable to paddle to the wide ocean for a singular fish

or see a newborn family member on the other side of the water.

Governments ignore Nature and humanity to focus only on their own interests.

Now two powerful navies face off and Earth may soon be destroyed,

leaving no tomorrow or a future to talk about.

When the history is complex with no right or wrong,

only with a compromise will the navies back down

and let people resume their lives in peace and harmony.