The Old Man and the Sea

We all got aboard the glass-bottom boat,
a rickety vessel piloted by an old mariner,
and wondered how it could keep afloat.

The outboard chugged and off we went.
“Look beneath the surface”, the sailor said,
“and you’ll be the witnesses of a portent.”

The spectacle was what one would wish;
we enjoyed a unique snorkeller’s eye view
and saw a shoal of multicoloured reef fish.

We spotted huge turtles, a shiver of sharks,
dorado dolphins leaping out of the water
and we heard the muffled sea lions’ barks.

The visual scene was a source of pleasure
and, sighting a shipwreck on the ocean floor,
we fantasised about finding some treasure.

We were very impressed with the old salt,
of his nautical nous and navigational skill,
and rewarded him with a bottle of malt.

© Luigi Pagano 2015