3 turtles & a ray

3 turtles & a ray

paddleboarding

late in the afternoon

in the shallow waters off the beach

I happened on a ray

dark and sleek

moving quickly along the sea floor

his pointy nose and heart-shaped body

trailing a long skinny tail

not far away

I spotted a large turtle

who appeared to be taking a nap on a rock

at the bottom of the sea

soft browns and greens, even reds

woven in intricate patterns on his back

I alerted some nearby snorkelers

who promptly chased him away

with their splashing fins and underwater cameras

but when I followed

I found two more

this pair was swimming

gliding slowly through sunlit waters

popping their heads up now and then

for a breath of fresh air

how blessed I am

to see such beauty and grace

in the course of an ordinary day

and in a part of the world

so utterly unlike my own

monday 27 march

lent 2017

Maho Bay, St. John