Week 2.21: About Boating

Little Crab
How happy you made me
When you came out of the sea
Flying into our boat
All fear and foam
Bewildered by bright
Unfiltered sunlight
A picture of pride
We threw you over the side
As soon as I had stolen
That moment of golden
Glitter sun penny shine
From the back of your spine

© Sarah Doty 2010

Week 2.21: About Boating was taken off the southeastern coast of Kauai. I've always loved this picture. And I've been missing Kauai something terrible lately. It all got stirred up even more when I was re-reading a classic, classic children's book that made me laugh out loud three times in the first chapter alone.

About Boating, from page 10 in The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame:

"'Nice? It's the only thing,' said the Water Rat solemnly, as he leant forward for his stroke. 'Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing-absolutely nothing-half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. Simply messing,' he went on dreamily: 'messing-about-in-boats; messing-'...'-about in boats-or with boats,' the Rat went on composedly, picking himself up with a pleasant laugh. 'In or out of 'em, it doesn't matter. Nothing seems really to matter, that's the charm of it. Whether you get away, or whether you don't; whether you arrive at your destination or whether you reach somewhere else, or whether you never get anywhere at all, you're always busy, and you never do anything in particular; and when you've done it there's always something else to do, and you can do it if you like, but you'd much better not.'"

(This post is dedicated to Mr. Layne and Miss MorningGlory, two of my favorite boaters who taught me the ins-and-outs About Boating love.)