snorkeling

snorkeling

diving in, I met a school

of tiny silver fish

each one no longer than my eyelash

but millions of them

as far as the eye could see

clouding the water with their sparkle --

and then as suddenly as they’d come

they were gone

and the water was as clear again as air.

off the rocky point

among great gray boulders

I saw a beautiful canvas of blues and yellows --

large purple fans

waving gently in the ocean currents,

crusty coral the color of goldenrod

rather resembling bronze-plated oak leaves,

and spikey black sea urchins

hiding in the crevices.

dozens of fish were darting about

in this magical underwater playground

electric blue ones, softer greens and grays

and a large family of “tiger” fish

with their bold black and yellow stripes

looking for all the world like happy children

joining a pick-up game in the park.

I followed a pair of bright blue parrotfish

swimming across the reef --

dancers they were

gliding side by side almost touching

their movement perfectly synchronized

as if it had been choreographed

so graceful and so quick

they even did a pirouette for me

in perfect unison

like two ballerinas.

returning,

I saw an albino fish, almost translucent

white as the sand she swam over

only one small black dot on her tail

to give her away.

I saw a fat little multi-colored fish,

dark green with paisley swirls

of black and white, deep blue, orange, brown.

and I saw a small skinny fish

impossibly turquoise with neon green splotches

and a spot of bright red near the gills.

what a vast world there is

just under the water’s surface

vibrant with color and teeming with life.

and we float in the currents

pretending for a moment

we are part of that world,

and find ourselves privileged

to see a tiny slice of it.

wednesday 27 april

easter 2016
Benure's Bay, Norman Island

Enjoy!