No Man is an Island . . .

by Jack Foley

I am the remains
Of an extinct volcano
That reaches 541 feet
Above sea level.
I am situated
Northwest of the main
Galápagos Island group
On the Wolf–Darwin
Lineament.
My formation
Is different from
The formation of the main
Galápagos Islands.
Currently
There are two theories
Of my formation:
The first is that
Magma rising from the mantle plume
Forming the main
Galápagos Islands
Was channeled towards
The Galápagos
Spreading Center;
Alternatively,
There was a separate
Rise in magma caused by stress in the ocean lithosphere
By a transform fault.
I am satisfied.
I am the most northerly
Of the two peaks on the Wolf–Darwin Lineament.
My last eruption
Is believed to have been
400,000 years ago.
My Arch is unmatched
By any created in the Ancient World.
I am not open to land visits.
I teem
With a spectacular variety of marine life.
I attract:
Whale sharks, hammerhead, Galápagos, silky and blacktip sharks,
Green turtles, manta rays, and dolphins.
I have a large bird population,
Including frigate birds, red–footed boobies, and the vampire finch.
I love the water out of which I rise.
My heart is open
To the wind, to the elements, to the creatures that visit.
I do not make love.
I do not make war.
I do not believe in any deity.
I stand
In the midst of the magnificent Pacific Ocean
Alive, old, free.