Another poem from a prompt combo. The image is from Suzanne Olivante.

For today’s prompt, write a warning poem. Warnings can be found everywhere: on the labels of medicine, in the speeches of leaders, and in the advice of parents. Even stories and poems have been known to harbor warnings.

No Lifeguard

We forgot our gills
when we left the sea
and are forever excluded
from its riches.
Not the treasure chests
of Davey Jones locker
but the beauty of sunlight
rippling along sand
and the myriad creatures
who live in warmth
with muted sounds
like a womb.

They post warning
signs at the beach.
The riptide is now deadly
instead of thrilling fun.
Imagine all the lives
that would be saved
if they defended
us from the ocean
like a castle
with thick walls
topped by razor wire
and a moat.