The gift completes itself in the giving.
I’m sitting here on the wall tracking them,
observing, watching them cavort
and circle out in the turquoise blue waters.
I radiate all the love in my heart,
all my appreciation.
They are magnificent.
They always leave me breathless.
We are both and all swimmers,
little fishermen, survivors of the depths.
People come here to Hawaiʻi
to view them in enough captivity
that it makes contact safe,
at least in their minds.
I can’t imagine it.
Once they swam so near, I was startled
at the proximity to the shore.
But I would never trade untamed lives
for a closer view.
I treasure these windows of the wild
that I am privileged to witness.
My heart is full,
my breath restored.
The world, for all its chaos,
suddenly feels coherent.
~ photo of dolphins, Kelly Nedved