The sea seemed to have no visible horizon
but just went on forever never reaching the sky.
Dolphins surrounded our ship in all directions,
jumping out of the water together in harmony
as if one giant connected entity rather than
just a lucky bunch of individual animals.
Last night's wake of green fluorescent plankton
was now just a memory as we gazed in awe
at the sights around us. We let out a collective
gasp as suddenly the jumping of the dolphins stopped.
Disappeared. Not a sign of all the thousands before.
All we could hear now were the sounds of the fans
and radars, and of the bow knifing through the water.
The dolphins never re-appeared...but we kept sailing on.
The gray steel of the ship oblivious to all around her.
All at once, the seas rose up and began crashing
onto the weather decks and over the forecastle.
We were naturally beckoned back inside the protective hull
of the warship where the sights of nature were replaced
with the smells and sounds and lights of a man-of-war.
And still onwards we cruised. Dead reckoned to a remote
island paradise where nature will surely show herself again.
There the ship would empty its bowels of her human cargo
and many a sailor would get drunk and find a companion
amongst the bars and clubs lining the one main street.
For tomorrow it would be them against the sea again.
And maybe, just maybe, the dolphins would once again escort them
on their secret journey. A journey of diplomatic purpose,
paying visit to the Chinese on their disputed artificial island
in the South China Sea, not far from the islands of the Philippines.
A risky maneuver but one necessary to avoid the coming of conflict
over freedom of the seas. Just this one lone cruiser amidst a myriad
of Chinese sailors, airmen and soldiers and their several ships
and planes stationed there on the new island. Not too far away
was America's own Naval base at Subic Bay in the Philippines.
It would be these two entities that would make first contact in case
the bubble went up. It was not clear, indeed it was highly unlikely
that there would be liberty call at this location. Too sensitive.
And still we sailed on amidst the crashing waves of the wine-dark sea.
-------------------------------------------
mindbringer, 14 December 2015
but just went on forever never reaching the sky.
Dolphins surrounded our ship in all directions,
jumping out of the water together in harmony
as if one giant connected entity rather than
just a lucky bunch of individual animals.
Last night's wake of green fluorescent plankton
was now just a memory as we gazed in awe
at the sights around us. We let out a collective
gasp as suddenly the jumping of the dolphins stopped.
Disappeared. Not a sign of all the thousands before.
All we could hear now were the sounds of the fans
and radars, and of the bow knifing through the water.
The dolphins never re-appeared...but we kept sailing on.
The gray steel of the ship oblivious to all around her.
All at once, the seas rose up and began crashing
onto the weather decks and over the forecastle.
We were naturally beckoned back inside the protective hull
of the warship where the sights of nature were replaced
with the smells and sounds and lights of a man-of-war.
And still onwards we cruised. Dead reckoned to a remote
island paradise where nature will surely show herself again.
There the ship would empty its bowels of her human cargo
and many a sailor would get drunk and find a companion
amongst the bars and clubs lining the one main street.
For tomorrow it would be them against the sea again.
And maybe, just maybe, the dolphins would once again escort them
on their secret journey. A journey of diplomatic purpose,
paying visit to the Chinese on their disputed artificial island
in the South China Sea, not far from the islands of the Philippines.
A risky maneuver but one necessary to avoid the coming of conflict
over freedom of the seas. Just this one lone cruiser amidst a myriad
of Chinese sailors, airmen and soldiers and their several ships
and planes stationed there on the new island. Not too far away
was America's own Naval base at Subic Bay in the Philippines.
It would be these two entities that would make first contact in case
the bubble went up. It was not clear, indeed it was highly unlikely
that there would be liberty call at this location. Too sensitive.
And still we sailed on amidst the crashing waves of the wine-dark sea.
-------------------------------------------
mindbringer, 14 December 2015
