Flashback, Alaska
Your pride is as high as the mountains
And the waves came, sang, crashed, foamed
It was always windy on the beaches
And tourists collected shells
You were an enchanting site
You were fearless
Remember, Alaska
I still remember that day
Don’t forget
That huge ship that approached
And it broke
And the waves carried it away, singing, crashing, foaming
And it approached the countryside
Remember that, Alaska
Don’t forget
That freighter lost in the swell
Sinking dangerously
Spilling all its fuel oil
On the sea
On the rocks
On the otters
On the birds
Soiling the soul of nature
Oh, the horror of oil
And the wreckage that slowly creeps into the depths of the oceans
What have you become, Alaska?
There’s still wind on your shores like there used to be
But it’s not the same and everything’s damaged
It’s a wind of melancholy, cold and desolate
A modest wind that freezes like nothing
A return of flame that hovers above the clouds
And crashes on the shores
The memory of a black ocean.
Isabelle LE ROUX
Environmental Film and Screenplay Festival 