Why the Sea is Blue and Salty by Agay Llanera

Long ago, the Sea wasn’t just blue.
Every second, it sparkled a different hue.
First, it was purple then it was pink,
and then it turned orange, all in one blink!
One moment, it was red, the next, it was yellow.
Then it was green like a bright, dewy meadow.

Gazing upon the Sea was the blue, blue Sky.
Each day, it would gaze down sadly and sigh,
Why do you have so many colors and I only have blue?
Why, oh why… can’t I be like you?
It would ask the Sea everyday,
Can you give me be a bit of color today?

The Sea would roll in laughter, sputter and say,
There’s no way, my friend! There’s just no way!
Why would I give my colors away?
Here in my waters, they belong! They shall stay!

Everyday, the Sky remained blue
and in its heart, jealousy brewed.
It secretly plotted and eagerly schemed
on getting the Sea’s red, pink and green.
To fill its immense, blue, blue hollow,
it needed the Sea’s purple and yellow.

The Sky urged the Wind to blow hard and strong.
So the Wind huffed and howled all day long.
The blue Sky cackled heartily,
Come to me, colors of the Sea!

The waves roared, soared and lashed!
But after swelling huge, down they crashed!
The colorful waves didn’t reach the Sky
and the Sea scoffed because it knew why.
Nice try, my dear Sky.
But I’m afraid it won’t work; you’re just too high!

So the Sky nudged the Sun to shine its brightest
and dry out the Sea so its hues it could possess.
Bodies of water vanished without a trace—
all except the Sea’s smug look on its face.
My waters are too deep and my body is too vast!
Your puny sunshine, I can easily outlast!

The Sky grew quiet and turned deep, dark gray.
(And honestly, it didn’t look pretty that way.)
Then the blue, blue Sky
started to cry.

All the lakes, streams, and rivers
the Sky released in a weepy holler.
Down its giant tears mightily plopped
with such great force, they gave quite a shock!
They exploded on the ground, splitting it loose.
Everywhere it hit was bumped and bruised.

Now, the Sea may be greedy
but it couldn’t bear to see
the earth smashed into bits,
covered in cracks and pits!

So the Sea reached out to the Sky,
Please don’t cry, Sky. Please don’t cry.
But the Sky didn’t hear.
Down stormed its tears.

To save the earth from further harm,
the Sea stretched out its fluid arms.
And the Sky’s tears, the Sea swallowed,
along with its blue, blue sorrow.

When the Sky had stopped crying, it looked down
and saw that the earth had almost drowned.
Its heart broke at the damage it had done.
It didn’t matter anymore that it still had not won.

The Sky glanced at the Sea in grief—
quickly replaced by disbelief!
My dear Sea, what has happened to you?
Where are your colors? Why are you only blue?

The weary Sea smiled up at the Sky
because it knew exactly why.
My dear Sky, I caught your tears when they fell
and I think I’ve caught your color as well.
Now, I have become like you.
So this is how it feels to be blue.

I was selfish and I didn’t care.
My colors, I didn’t want to share.
I was proud and I was greedy.
Is it too late to say, “I’m sorry?”

The Sky sniffed and bowed its head.
I’m sorry I wanted to get your red,
to pinch your pink and to steal your green.
Ah, your colors were truly the prettiest I’ve seen!
But I was born blue, and this I accept.
Now I must mend the earth, ‘til no rubble is left.

The Sky told the Sun to dry out the flood.
Next, it was told to dry out the mud.
Then the Clouds returned the floodwater
to the lakes and streams, ponds and rivers.
The Sky told the Wind to sweep away the mess.
When all was done, the earth looked its best.

The whole time, the Sea was watching quietly
then it broke out into uncontrollable glee.
My dear Sky, while you were crying, I reached up
and touched your cheek to make you stop.
Before I drowned in your magnificent blue,
look at what I had given you!

And the Sky looked at its blurry image
mirrored on the Sea—wait, was that a smudge of orange?
A dash of red and a splash of green!
A tinge of purple and a rosy pink sheen!
And surely, that was a patch of happy yellow!
On the curve of the Sky’s cheek was a sparkling rainbow.

Now you know why the Sea is blue.
But as to why it is salty, here’s a clue!
The next time you cry, try tasting your tears;
It’s as salty as the Sea filled with the Sky’s tears.