I peer into the foggy distance
And a fuzzy image comes into focus.

A tapered fin,
Gliding silently
Through the silk-smooth surface.

The sea king

Dropped into a hunter’s crouch
Stalking the image of its prey
Even when there is nothing.

He turns.
And my heart screeches to a halt
As I see the glittering black eyes.

The stone-grey body,
The form that strikes fear
Into the hearts of the meek fish around him.

He jumps.
And I see his gleaming white teeth,
Knife-sharp,
Guarding a red throat.

The boat lurches
But he stays where he is

I see his shining narrow eyes,
Slitted,
One final time.

Before he sinks into the depths of the
Ocean,
I stare at the murky grey-green
Where he once was.

Then I turn,
Still thinking about the wolf-hound
Of the sea.