February 28,2019

Snorkelling in the warm cerulean Bay of Bengal
Off Pigeon Island,
The coral reef is full of colour and texture.
Huge white brain-like corals,
Bright lime green cabbage-like corals,
Tiny mauve tipped corals,
A  large hot pink starfish shaped coral.

A big fat turquoise fish
With a splash of intense purple,
Peddles past furiously
Using its two small bright red side fins.
Some fish have long snouts and dower expressions,
Others are like cheerful little balloons
Darting here and there.
These are the clown fish, the angel fish, the parrot fish.
A wall of yellow and white striped fish
Fills my view.
When they turn sideways,
They are as thin as leaves.

Even the plain black fish,
With a sliver of white on its dorsal fin is glorious.
One long skinny stick-like fish is transparent.
Its’ one unblinking eye
Regards me or doesn’t.
The surface is peppered
With small colourful fish
Catching the sunshine.
Just when I think I have seen everything,
A school of large fish fill my view
And gradually disappear into the blue distance.

Laying on the surface,
Weightless in the water,
Breathing through my snorkel
And gently kicking with my flippers
I feel like I am a fish.
I am one with the world.
This could be heaven.
The large grey sharks swerving underneath
Remind me, that I am the interloper.