A fish with speckled scales
like pale brown sand
swims thoughtfully
past clumps of dark green kelp
that hide a seahorse
with black fins and orange eye
tail curled tight
in the way of seahorses
a dolphin follows close
and nudging him
a blue-carapaced turtle
flippers spread like wings
is paddling just above
a spiral shell

Newly made
the pot looks somehow
ancient
pre-colombian
although the colors are
perhaps a bit
too bright too clear
the potter worthy scion
of some gifted ancestor
has taught his hands
to shape the clay
into a well
proportioned form
and also
as the pot reveals
has learned to swim
with eyes wide open
taking in the beauty
of the ocean world