It’s an optical illusion
Has my brain had a contusion
I look on in rapt confusion
It’s a trick of the night
There’s a shadow in the doorway
Coming my way going your way
It’s as slippery as a moray
It’s a trick of the night
It’s shape is vague; it’s indistinct
I didn’t see from where it slinked
Would it vanish if I blinked
It’s a trick of the night
Dogs don’t pass, they turn and run
Like they’re seeking out the sun
Even rats avoid the fun
It’s a trick of the night
Dust and dirt rise in the street
At the tread of unseen feet
Something I care not to meet
It’s a trick of the night
There’s a creaking on my stairs
On my neck are prickling hairs
But she caught me unawares
It’s a trick of the night
There’s a beauty standing there
With a shimmer in her hair
Not a stitch of underwear
It’s a trick of the night
Manly acts I’ve quickly planned
But I do not understand
Is the dagger in her hand
Just a trick of the night
Why would God give moray eels
A life wherein they live concealed
In a beautiful, bountiful, rapturous reef
Merely to cause the nearby fishes grief?
When the moon and stars shine deep at night
Giving profiles to fishes in background light,
The morays watch and wantonly wait
Until their prey cannot escape.
Are morays just spokes in God’s wild wheel?
Do moray’s consciences not guilt feel?
What is their purpose? What is their ploy?
Is it just to consume those they destroy?
Where is their justice? Where is their joy?
What gives morays the right to annoy
Nearby fishes and affect their fates
While they wantonly lay in wait?
Why would God create such evil creatures
When others’ fates fear their cruel nature?
And why keep morays in ravishing reefs?
Do these evil eels provide the reefs relief?
Is a mindless moray like an inane man
Who bends people’s mores when he can
To languish their lives and besmirch their souls
Just to achieve his iniquitous goals?
Watching the ripples of the clear water of the Spey
Setting sun lighting field and trees of the strath
Salmon jumping clear to catch a fly
A sob as water runs from my eye.
Doon tae the firth o moray runs the water
Taking my thochts and dreams far away
Ne,er again tae be born a new
Loast forever in the melee o life
On on fast running Spey taking all hopes and despair
Wi me sleeping and floating in yer watter clear
Oan ma back spotting a hawk hover in azure sky
Lids closing tight oan ma blearie eye.
Music o the water soothing
We are all identical pearls in the turbulent sea
The gracious sun may make some shine brighter than others
But this shimmering brightness is not from ourselves alone
But also through the light and life of the gracious son
We are dependent on others for our lives as well
Not just our clams that raised and nurtured us within their shells
But also those who makes our food and seaweed clothes
We all pearls that make this sea shine a little brighter
Pearls should not say the light is theirs alone
Or announce “I shine more brightly than you”
But rather the light belongs to me and you
We are all potential stars that could shine in this dark sea
Lest we all be consumed by the lion-headed serpent
The giant moray eel that swims in these waters of chaos
dive,
have fit,
hand got bit:
that's a moray
eel
'Starfish!' said I, 'thing of a moray eel.'
Be it black ocean space;
Or in the breathing coral seas;
Back into my memories squiding;
To warn me about the sea turtle;
The cetacean coral reef crabbing;
Sharks and piranhas kidnapping;
I heard a tentacled, seagoing inking;
I wrote a story with the octopus pen;
I was a harbour porpoise and you a tuna sandwich;
The brokered bottlenose whale blossoming;
The sphinx moth singeing;
Only this and a sturgeon;
In there stepped a shovel nose 'whale shark';
In there stepped a 'lake trout.';
Dolphins lookout;
To warn me about the bluefin;
The foul flatfish forging;
All my soul within me gorging;
In there stepped a coral sea cucumber;
I have dreamed of the spadefish;
An echo murmured back the word, 'channel catfish!';
The brook trout smiled;
I felt compelled to sniff the squid;
Smells like fish;
It was squish;
Take thy bluegill from out my heart;
Embrace the wish;
Starfish
6/20/20
WRITTEN WORDS BY James Edward Lee Sr. 2020©
A spotted hyena escaped from the zoo.
Along with a spotted skunk, so that made two.
A spotted moray sounded the loud alarm.
A spotted bass swam off with some charm.
Spotted fever ticks transmitted some fever,
Spotted swine asked if I was a believer
I showed him my spotted face and one spotted hand.
They made me an honorary member of the
Spotted dotted trotted slotted allotted band.
Hyena, skunk, moray, bass, swine and ticks.
We are singing tonight down by the River Stix.
Steve loves mountaineering, he was the first,
Visually impaired person to climb El Capitan,
Solo, and there he met Karen Darke, cyclist,
Who got him into para-cycling ‘cos it had can.
“Climbing is something I really love, so I hope
[I] never have to give it up. I’m certainly going
to make the most of it while I can. I just hope
it helps to inspire [disabled people],” adding,
“to believe that anything is possible if they set
their minds to it. If I can do it, [then] anyone can.”
Steve is a total sportsman, who loves to get
Challenged, and he feels met by the bike klan.
He was born in New Zealand but is a Scot today,
Is from Moray with ailment Retinitus Pigmentosa.
He trains in Manchester with pilot Adam Duggleby,
And went down a bomb at Rio, from others’ faster.
For the Individual Pursuit B he secured the gold,
And likewise in the Road Time Trial B, gold medal,
Outside in the Road Race B he stuck in to hold,
Onto a podium placement giving a bronze pedal.
On holiday on Scotland's Moray Firth
spent time at SDC at Spey bay
that's the Scottish Dolphin centre
whose vision's for there safety from all prey
Risso's Dolphins born grey seen during summer
love to eat squid identified by scratches white
bottlenose Dolphins really active and boisterous
playful things as they throw fish into flight
Common Dolphins so fast and lithe
having hour glass pattern on their side
white-beaked Dolphins move north as temps rise
identified by white saddle mark as they glide
Atlantic white-sided Dolphins prefer cold waters
but they're see by west coast in summer time
that's just a short profile of these creatures
that swim on Moray's coast in natural rhyme
It's a special moment to see such creatures
which wasn't my blessing while I was there
but these wonderful Dolphins deserve protection
all part of God's creation made for all to share
(Having spent week on holiday recently up in North of Scotland on Moray Firth and highlight to visit the Scottish Dolphin Centre, learning about the great work they do.
Any one interested to know more see the website link http://uk.whales.org/ )
“700”
We stood upon a windy hill
The sky a greying growling mass
Amid a motely gathering
Of Knights and weathered fighters
Warriors old who stood wi Wallace
And led by Moray,s standard.
They wept when both had passed
Now ready at The Bruce,s side.
Hearts filled with nationalistic pride
They brought their tools of trade
Sickles and hammers alongside
Swords and pikes and targes
To fight and die glorious nameless
For the taste of freedoms wine.
The cry of freedom echoes
From village to distant hill
As The Bruce roars out a command
Raising the sword from Wallaces hand
Towards the massed ranks of heavy horse
Floundering in scotia,s mud
The burn it flows on turned red
With warriors life and blood.
...................................
Seven hundred years have flown
And as we stand again upon a hill
A choice has to be made
Whether to grow and flourish
To stay under anothers hand
Once again the banners fly
Under a greying, growling sky.
(to commemerate the 700th anniversary of Scotlands fight to be a kingdom)
My Grandkids had a sleep over with me
we had such fun colouring and drawing
they are so delightful and lovely boys
we watched Nat geo wild a while
They were fascinated seeing the animals
loved watching the Osprey feeding his chicks
ten fish a day he had to catch to feed them all
Ryan said what a busy bird but he kept one for himself
This morning we watched the Moray eels
as they swam around the wrecked ship
and a rare sight of them courting so gently
and saw the little Elvers swim away to sea
Means I was not able to write last night
or even to comment on others poems
at two, five and six they kept me very busy
soon they will go home with my daughter
They asked can we sleep over again nana
we really like it at your home it's so fun
bless their little souls so innocent still
they brought much joy and happiness
I will feel rather blue when their mum
comes to take them back home
the house will seem so empty
without their laughter echoing
turning tide
with dolphins frolicking -
children watch in awe
Look under the surface of the ocean
fat cucumbers lazily stirring amidst
vast reefs of multicoloured coral
hermit crabs scuttling to the next rock
Shoals of tiny fish darting in and out
the shadow of the hunting shark
a star fish drifts on the tide's turn
sharp spines of the urchin await
ready to spike unwary bare feet
the inky jet of a disturbed squid
Wondrous formations abound
covered with oysters and clams
arches too small for us to follow
beware of the moray eels lurking
what fascinating wonders are displayed
as you watch another almost alien world
This stretch of blue
Through my city it runs
Under bridges of old
And the newest of ones
Through a channel of green
To the Moray Firth
Its idyllic in vista
The view is well worth
Can you imagine
When you sit on its banks
The clear fresh air
In atmosphere thanks
On its bend to its right
In contour follow
On the hill their stands
A view to swallow
In red sandstone build
This structure of grand
Inverness Castle
For the Hanoverian stand
But Spring times the best
Even though, there are buttercups
But when the Daffodils bloom
They just don't seem enough
For the banks turn
From greens to yellow
As if painted this way
By an artist fellow
But honestly Soupers
I can sit here and tell
To be totally honest
You have to see it, for yourselves
http://www.thehighlanderspoems.com/inverness.php
Anchored with no slack
Moray swims through silent grave
Shipwreck breaths with life
By Robb A. Kopp
Related Poems