Adventuring

 

Guest prompter Matthew Henningsen at dVerse wants us to go travelling

When I can’t sleep because my head is full of whirling thoughts and images.  I think my way back to a small crescent-shaped bay on the island of Paxos in the Ionian Sea.  I am lying on my back on the sand, my family stretched out beside me, basking in the generous sun, all feet pointing at the sea, with gentle waves lapping a liquid sound.  I stretch out a lazy hand for a tall tumbler of condensing cold liquid.  By this time, I am usually asleep.

Second thoughts took me beneath the Indian Ocean.

 
The world has receded.
Look up,
refracted light ripples above your head.
Look down,
translucent blueness
stippled with darting schools of chromo fish
weaving though graceful fronds.
Look right,
vivid creatures of every shape and size
swim past your eyes, a miracle of colour.
Look left,
the stripes of a group of sergeant majors.
Look far
after the waving seagrass,
the fabulous forms of corals
stretching out and up towards infinity.
Look behind,
the comforting sight of your diving buddy
guarding your wake.

Indian Ocean Scene

This wall hanging, made for Jock’s Granddaughter, was inspired by memories of the two years we lived in Seychelles in the early 90’s where, after work each day, we were either on, in or under the Indian Ocean.

First posted in 2011