We put on our masks
and descend, keeping at arm’s length,
near enough to close when needed.
We flick by a nurse shark,
Eldorado fins with barbels down,
past a leatherback, broad-shouldered,
flippers thick and muscled,
pass a pompano and its sleek, slicked-back silhouette.
Near dive’s end my son veers off with a pod
of dolphins, skin taut and smooth,
briefly flipping over on his back
for a final glance, a teenager
finning off into the blue for good.