Fin

Imagine if we saw a shark out here right now

I regretted it as soon as I said it

The words floated across the undulating blue to you

As we stood on our fiberglass tongues, armed only with paddles.

We hadn’t meant to get this far out

But 200 feet offshore, we were nothing but morsels

And the helpless fear I keep hermetically sealed

Was trailing behind me like chum in the water.

Look. Your voice was urgent and my heart stopped.

I thought of my daughter and wife, beautiful in their beach chairs

At least they’d be too far away to witness the churn and gore

My ragdoll body strewn about and pulled under.

But instead of a dorsal fin, your finger found a school of rays

We paused on our boards and watched them glide under us

Noble and aloof in their own slow trek towards death

Then dug in with our paddles towards the safety of the breakers.