August 16, 2012 Poetry and Healy Science Mash Up

The Poetry Challenge is on!

Can you write a poem about science? When I asked the Coast Guard and scientists aboard, they traded their binoculars, mud, CTD water, and ship’s wheel for pen and paper and the occasional computer to take the mash up challenge. I am in awe with our growing collection of polar poetry. Here are several samples of the poems.

The Walruses of Punik Island

The walruses of Punik
Can stack up ten high
They roll and they tumble
Leaving tusks when they die

The tusks turn to fossils
From pressures above
And come back to the living
When, from Punik sands they are dug

In the hands of a carver
Magic talismans are wrought
Fossil ivory gleams brightly
The artist hoping they’re bought

So that is the cycle
For walrus, you see
From Punik to pocket
Ivory amulets from the sea

By S. Moore, HEALY 1201 cruise on passing Punik Island; 11 August 2012

Haiku Poem

To the last frontier
Through ice and cold HEALY goes
Get your science on!

By ENS Rebecca Follmer

Challenge yourself

Write a poem in any form about science around you. Your poem can be funny, short, long… Think about your favorite poet whether it be Shel Silverstein or John Keats. Send your poem to Ask the Team. Please include your name, city and state. Enjoy!

Video from the day by Johnny Sullivan

Johnny Sullivan is fishing for dirty ice- ice with algae

Johnny Sullivan is a graduate student from The University of Texas at Austin studying water resources engineering. He is the data manager for the expedition. He keeps track of the locations and time for all of the sampling operations. The scientists are dependent on that data for their research. For fun, Johnny is a videographer and photographer and is the ship’s cake tester. He also likes to cycle, play ultimate Frisbee, and read all types of novels. His 11th grade physic teacher inspired him to pursue science.