Baliena

A poem by Victoria Zammit

Baliena - the Maltese word for ‘whale’

I’ve never seen a whale before.

I have seen
starfish clinging to hope
and sea urchins crawling away
from our perforated knives

and tuna that escapes from farmed sea
to terrorize the locals
who don’t know how big they can be.

I have seen
jellyfish that float towards you
and engulf you in a new atmosphere
of pain
and beauty.

But I have never seen a whale.

I roll the word off the tip of my tongue
and wonder what it would be like
to hear them sing.

Would they be
peaceful?
mournful?
angry?

Are whales even capable of emotion?

I ask those who have seen them
and they all seem to be
amazed
by the majesty
of this giant mammal
that swims around us
but that I have never seen.

Are whales even real?

I have never seen a whale,
but I have seen dolphins
that ride the surf
next to our boats

and turtles
that lay their eggs
on our beaches
and hope for the best.

And whales are bigger than that.

Maybe I’m not ready
to see a whale
just yet.