[Poetry] Run-off by Juliana McCullen

Take a day where you can only look at the ocean. The fabled disgusting run-off from the streets of LA make an entire coastline unswimmable. Surfers and swimmers lament in the cold rainfall, having to watch the majesty of the ocean they usually took part in from the sidelines. “I’ve never seen Porto this big,” one guy says, enthralled. “The sandbar is totally destroyed, though,” another complains quietly. It’s the dichotomy of seeing the majesty of nature to which we are not accustomed in Southern California, and witnessing the life we once knew slipping away before our eyes. Drivers are trying not to crash out on the Harbor Freeway on their daily commutes. We watch the flood warnings on the television. Angelenos trek to Manhattan Beach, Dockweiler, Malibu; a slew of sight seekers, slowly becoming climate tourists (refugees) in their hometown.

Reminds me of the summer when it rained. At least it was warm then.

Juliana McCullen is a graduate of UC Santa Cruz, earning their B.A. in Environmental Studies. They love being able to contextualize their knowledge through observation and writing, especially the fluctuations so apparent as a result of climate change. They love drawing, volleyball, and surfing. They currently work as a pool lifeguard, with their eyes on the ocean division.