Solitude of the Sea
Do you think that you will go out to sea and be left alone?
Do you think that this is the answer?
”I'm going to sea. See ya later!”
Well, I went to sea today,
But not too far out.
Perhaps I went out only
thirty feet off the beach.
I could still stand up in the sand.
For $10.99 I bought a mask and snorkel at Walgreens
on the way to the beach,
and I tell you that mask fit my face exactly
and the snorkel was perfect, too.
I was the only person on the launch to Peanut Island at 3 PM.
I had two hours until the last launch left Peanut at 5 PM.
On land I was alone.
In the water just past the rocks
where I thought I would be most alone
I was being watched.
I was watched by every little fish hiding under every rock
and the Man O’ War jellyfish were ever present
so I was watching for them and they were watching for me..
In three feet of water there is a world of who’s watching who.
If I wanted that world to go away all I had to do was stand up.
To enter it merely took mask on, snorkel up, and dip back
into the surging tide amongst the rocks.
Most of the fish were small and tropical;
the Man O’ Wars drifting by were larger.
Every time I swam towards the rocks I saw a flash.
The first time I followed.
He always gave me a glimpse of his tail and his silvery length
before he swam deeper.
A barracuda, showing himself to me,
in these rocks that I had ventured towards.
The message was clear:
Stranger, this is my territory.
See me.
I know he has big teeth.
I ventured cautiously into his territory,
the barracuda,
but I didn't stand up and make him go away.
Do you think that you will go out to sea and be left alone?
Do you think that this is the answer?
”I'm going to sea. See ya later!”
Well, I went to sea today,
But not too far out.
Perhaps I went out only
thirty feet off the beach.
I could still stand up in the sand.
For $10.99 I bought a mask and snorkel at Walgreens
on the way to the beach,
and I tell you that mask fit my face exactly
and the snorkel was perfect, too.
I was the only person on the launch to Peanut Island at 3 PM.
I had two hours until the last launch left Peanut at 5 PM.
On land I was alone.
In the water just past the rocks
where I thought I would be most alone
I was being watched.
I was watched by every little fish hiding under every rock
and the Man O’ War jellyfish were ever present
so I was watching for them and they were watching for me..
In three feet of water there is a world of who’s watching who.
If I wanted that world to go away all I had to do was stand up.
To enter it merely took mask on, snorkel up, and dip back
into the surging tide amongst the rocks.
Most of the fish were small and tropical;
the Man O’ Wars drifting by were larger.
Every time I swam towards the rocks I saw a flash.
The first time I followed.
He always gave me a glimpse of his tail and his silvery length
before he swam deeper.
A barracuda, showing himself to me,
in these rocks that I had ventured towards.
The message was clear:
Stranger, this is my territory.
See me.
I know he has big teeth.
I ventured cautiously into his territory,
the barracuda,
but I didn't stand up and make him go away.
© 2007 by Michael Domino