Oh, the bright track, tempting travel,
paved by sun-leaf, molten lamellae poured
over bobbling, glaucescent water-cobbles,
and to align Urshie, I step back so to see
a bobbing silhouette of human head
among the illuminated splashes of her arms.
But there's a dark form, off-track, under...
a sizeable body, bulk twisting underwater,
lunging out now in Ursula's direction, sure!
Ploughing water, I close gap between daughter
and self as she steps backwards too
in some alarm;
yet curiosity has us
roused up - we're too far in to ensure
any wading escape from horrific encounter.
But after the dark body straightens, no fin
backs it; but something stumpy bobs up.
'Is it an eel?' Ursula yells.
'A seal!' I say,
unwilling to consider an eel that massive...
and so it transpires to be - dog face steady
above the lapping surface, blinking,
blowing, whiskers twisting as if to say:
'My mistake, human, I thought you were
a seal gal.'
It nods to Urshie, drifts away
as waves sunward wash, angled diagonally inshore.
