Make A Difference Poem by Jaipal Singh

Towards the sunset
On a deserted beach
As he watched curiously
The native leaned down
Picking up something
And hurled it into the water
He would repeat the same feat
To his curiosity time and again.

Puzzled, he asked the native -
I wonder what you are doing!
The native replied - It's low tide
Starfishes are washed up onto shore
I'm throwing them back into the ocean
Lest they will die very soon
Due to lack of the oxygen.

He parried - In numerous beaches
On such a long coast
There may be thousands of starfishes
You can perhaps save a few
So don't you realize
The futility of your endeavor
It can't possibly make a difference.

The native just smiled
Bent down to pick up another one
As he threw it back into the ocean
He replied back coolly -
It made a difference to that one.