lime light

I went to see the whales today
I wanted to see them splash and play
to roll in the surf and play with the calves
and let me take pictures to send to my friends.
I went to the platform with hundreds of others
one hundred and seventy steps up from the beach
I peered over railings through the saw edged dune grasses
and pondered how long it would take if I dropped it,
for my camera to land on the sand.
I saw a fin and we all oohed and ahhed,
the huge waiting crowd all excited.
I focussed my eye through the lens of my camera
ready to snap a picture delightful
of frolicking behemoths glistening wetly
but all that my eye could detect was the sea.
I looked up to see a large fin a-waving
mothers and babies dark islands glistening
They paddled and splashed and blew fountains of sea spray
as long as my eye from my camera did stray.
They leaped and cavorted and raced through the ocean
but all of the evidence I have to show
is a vast grey expanse of cloud over water
and right in the centre a tiny black dot.
They're out there right now laughing at us
strange silly two legged hovering watchers,
those great ponderous actors
out in the ocean
performing their actions
for free
no cameras please