Lying here upon the beach
Just within the ocean's reach
Lies the master of the sea,
Resting for eternity.

This is the snout of beast supreme
Which led the way in its regime.
Behind it followed massive bulk,
A fearsome underwater hulk.
Now it lies upon the shore,
Lifeless here forevermore.

These are the teeth which, long ago,
Shattered ships from deep below.
Wood was splintered in its jaws,
Giving mighty warships pause.
Now it lies upon the shore,
Lifeless here forevermore.

This is the tongue vast as a whale
Which skinned its prey from head to tail.
Its ferocious appetite
Demanded flesh all day and night.
Now it lies upon the shore,
Lifeless here forevermore

These are the eyes at final rest,
In which the gull now makes his nest.
Once they glared from far away
Ever scanning for its prey.
Now it lies upon the shore,
Lifeless here forevermore.

This is the throat which steam does shroud,
A cavern to make Dante proud.
Drenched with stench of rotting meat
Where ancient armies met defeat.
Now it lies upon the shore,
Lifeless here forevermore.

These are the flukes that, in days of yore,
Drove the beast from shore to shore.
It sailed past wind-blown ships and laughed,
But could not outpace the modern craft.
Now it lies upon the shore,
Lifeless here forevermore.

This is the backbone that, stories say,
Is hundreds of miles along its way.
It was legend out of its sheer size,
The greatest, finest hunting prize.
Now it lies upon the shore,
Lifeless here forevermore.

This is the tail with strength so vast
That has become a thing of the past,
For every creature must defer
To weapons thermonuclear.
Now it lies upon the shore,
Lifeless here forevermore.

Once it was the greatest beast,
Now eaten by the very least.
It cannot roam the oceans free,
Killed off by humanity.
Gone now are those days of yore;
Seagulls feast upon its gore
Lying here upon the shore
Lifeless now forevermore.