Of The Sea Communique

We went to the aquarium
right from the sanitarium.
Hank lagged in the solarium
and so I had to harry him.

Yet soon enough he waxed his walk
and when inside we got a shock.
I say it made our worldview rock
when we heard fish and turtles talk.

My friend and I were blown away
at voices that were clear as day.
There even was a manta ray
who had some pointed things to say.

He said the rays told shark and shad
about the loss of a comrade.
Steve Irwin’s* death made many mad,
but mostly, manta rays were sad.

We listened to some turtle-speak
and some of it was blue in streak.
We learned of timid turtle sneak
into the kelp to spend a week.

Then fish of many shapes and hues
would talk about deep sea issues.
They were well-schooled in ocean news
and we were humbled by their views.

They talked of slaughter on the sea,
of humpback whale and manatee.
We hung our heads, both Hank and me,
and felt a sense of urgency.

*Steve Irwin (“The Crocodile Hunter”) was a wildlife expert
who succumbed to a stingray sting on September 4, 2006.