he stepped forward ready to cross from one ship to the other the gap between the vessels widened he began to fall plunging deep into the dark cold water deeper and deeper as he fell every vestige he had contrived to dress his life was stripped from him each atom finding its part in the eternal stillness of time as he sank a strange questioning engulfed his fading consciousness that the jesus who walked upon the water was no man at all instead a tail surfing dolphin who could dive so deep and free to where all men could find if only they would the simple truth that the sea is their first mother it is from her womb they emerged and where every stage of their being lives still the cold quit his body lighter and lighter warmer and warmer blue upon wonder full blue pure pure white safe and warm as a tropical sea he knew he was free there was nothing left to lose the promise had been kept The sand swept up along the shore innocently carrying the plastic poison that had clogged the breath which moved upon the water
