I am the largest structure made by animals in the world, a colony of coral polyps, a natural wonder of the world

I wonder why they think, that I, the delicate limestone secreting animal is a rock or a shell, perhaps it is my limestone, as stiff as a skeleton serving as my protection

I hear the warm, salty waves lapping at my colonies in the shallow waters of the Pacific, stretching over 3,000 individual reefs and 700 islands

I see each unique polyp stretch each tiny tentacle out, and quickly grasp every piece of microscopic algae

I want to be vast and great, I am the size of California, almost 1250 miles long.

I am the kingdom of coral, and a castle in the seas, crafted over millions of years ever so slightly growing only half an inch a year

I pretend I am host to a carnival of the dancing polyps, holding hands, joining together to create radiant hues of orange, blue, yellow, and green

I feel the stress of each coral as they expel the algae living in their transparent outer tissue exposing their skeleton, and then, a passing of a life

I touch each passing sea turtle, whale, shark, fish, mollusk and bird

I worry about the crown of thorns sea star, my predator that devours my coral with his armory of poisonous spikes with a ravenous appetite

I cry for the bleached coral, colorless and dead in large numbers

I am the Captain James Cook’s ship Endeavor demise

I understand the tourist’s gaze into the water, as the stare in awe at my color, the fisherman’s hope, and the conservationist’s pleas

I say keep me whole, full of life, full of color

I dream of the day my ecosystem is healthy, rid of all boats, pollution and oil

I try to avoid the reef walkers, anchors, and fuel of boats

I hope my forest of colored coral will withstand the test of time

I am a home, a treasure, a phenomenon; I am the Great Barrier Reef