A moving mind in depth serene
Descends and rises, seldom seen.
Flukes up, he sounds, dark, deep, below;
An hour past, to breathe and blow,
Ascends he then to wind and light:
A mystery of muscled might
Is the Cachalot, now breathing
On the billows gently seething.
His world is wet, a salty brine;
No ocean yet does he decline.
He moves at ease around the Earth
At home in seas that gave him birth,
And lives from infancy to age
Without committing to a page
A single thought or memory
Of his aquatic history.
And yet there dwells within his head
A Brain like which it has been said
There is not one in sea or land.
The Brain of Man can hardly stand
Comparison with that of his
Who spends his time amidst the fizz
Of frothy wave, or windblown spume,
Or silent depths where there is room
To contemplate whatever he
Lets his imagination see.
I wonder what he thinks about,
This Whale with Brain so strong and stout,
He takes with him when down he goes
Into dark depths, and what he knows?
More acquainted with the sea
Than any Mariner can be,
He roams the world at will for sport,
Yet never docks at any port.
He hasn't hands to mischief make;
He can't begin to bake a cake,
Or build a bridge, or ride a bike,
Or fly a kite, or take a hike
Among the mountains on the land,
Or write a speech, or take a stand
On whether to make peace or war
(Although he is a predator).
I wonder if he hasn't found
A simple way to get around
The self-made troubles known to Man
By living without any plan,
Washed by currents, tides and breezes,
Roaming freely where he pleases,
Without obstructing Life's progression
(Save for Squid, for his digestion).
Of course he's been around awhile,
And so he may have cause to smile
At complications Life imposes
On a race that presupposes
All the world is what it seems,
Instead of tissue, made of dreams.
Complications Life imposes
On a race that presupposes
All the world is what it seems,
Instead of tissue, made of dreams.
"Deep Thoughts" copyright 1997 by J. Harmon Grahn.
Verbatim copying and redistribution are permitted in any medium provided this notice is preserved.