The silver seal of summer swims exultant in the sea,
upon his hip a flask of stars, the sword of mystery,
a gay bandana on his brow, a mermaid on his streamlined prow,
foam-flecked Navigatrix from Orion,
rescued from an Arab dhow.
Past the weasly cliffs of Westphalia he skims,
seagulls doff their hats and tip their wings.
A cormorant calls 'how do you do?' and Silver Seal
says 'I do very nicely thank you, how are you?"
The Old Man of May blinks in the wind,
remembering when he was a little boy
still joined to the mainland,
with crabs cavorting in the sand between his toes.
An albatross on its way to Russia lands on his nose.
"Bless you!" says Silver Seal, chewing on some lemon peel.
"Where are you going?" calls out TooWit TooWoo
the Sea Owl, a kipper in his beak
and bright yellow wellingtons on his feet.
"I'm going to see a man about a maid," replies Silver Seal
"and then I'm going to find me a Waterspout Tree
and lay down a while in its shade.
I may write a poem, I may sing a song,
I may sit on something very short,
I may measure something very long...
What about you?
"I'm flying to Arabia," says Toowit Toowoo,
"I have a message for the Great Kazoo.
Its written on this blade of grass held between my beak.
"Let's hear it then," says Silver Seal,
"I'm familiar with lots of messages, I might recognise it."
"Not this one," says TooWit Toowoo,
"its in a new tetra-duo-decimal scale
that has to be transcribed by whales."
"Does the Great Kazoo have a tame whale then? asks Silver Seal.
"Oh yes," hoots Toowit TooWoo, "he has quite a few."
The silver seal of summer swims, his head in a golden cloud
of morning mist and ocean wisp
but he knows where he's going (except when its snowing)
and soon he's in his love's back yard,
cavorting in her paddling pool
and playing with her rubber ducks.
Griff the ginger cat lets out a yowl
and is two blocks away before she can toss him a towel.
"What about your mermaid?" she asks.
"Eh? Oh never mind her, " says Silver Seal nonchalently,
"she's had enough play for today.
Fix her some juice and give her the odd slice of lemon
and she'll amuse herself.
Perhaps when she's had a little nap
you can show her you collection of plates from Delft."
upon his hip a flask of stars, the sword of mystery,
a gay bandana on his brow, a mermaid on his streamlined prow,
foam-flecked Navigatrix from Orion,
rescued from an Arab dhow.
Past the weasly cliffs of Westphalia he skims,
seagulls doff their hats and tip their wings.
A cormorant calls 'how do you do?' and Silver Seal
says 'I do very nicely thank you, how are you?"
The Old Man of May blinks in the wind,
remembering when he was a little boy
still joined to the mainland,
with crabs cavorting in the sand between his toes.
An albatross on its way to Russia lands on his nose.
"Bless you!" says Silver Seal, chewing on some lemon peel.
"Where are you going?" calls out TooWit TooWoo
the Sea Owl, a kipper in his beak
and bright yellow wellingtons on his feet.
"I'm going to see a man about a maid," replies Silver Seal
"and then I'm going to find me a Waterspout Tree
and lay down a while in its shade.
I may write a poem, I may sing a song,
I may sit on something very short,
I may measure something very long...
What about you?
"I'm flying to Arabia," says Toowit Toowoo,
"I have a message for the Great Kazoo.
Its written on this blade of grass held between my beak.
"Let's hear it then," says Silver Seal,
"I'm familiar with lots of messages, I might recognise it."
"Not this one," says TooWit Toowoo,
"its in a new tetra-duo-decimal scale
that has to be transcribed by whales."
"Does the Great Kazoo have a tame whale then? asks Silver Seal.
"Oh yes," hoots Toowit TooWoo, "he has quite a few."
The silver seal of summer swims, his head in a golden cloud
of morning mist and ocean wisp
but he knows where he's going (except when its snowing)
and soon he's in his love's back yard,
cavorting in her paddling pool
and playing with her rubber ducks.
Griff the ginger cat lets out a yowl
and is two blocks away before she can toss him a towel.
"What about your mermaid?" she asks.
"Eh? Oh never mind her, " says Silver Seal nonchalently,
"she's had enough play for today.
Fix her some juice and give her the odd slice of lemon
and she'll amuse herself.
Perhaps when she's had a little nap
you can show her you collection of plates from Delft."
