The Naturalist Poem by Charles Tiffin Clegg

The Naturalist

It's 5 AM and quiet, everyones asleep
It's summer and its time for me to go play on the beach
I do this all the time, my parents still asleep
We are staying with Aunt Betty on Alamitos Bay
I try to get my clothes on, a shirt and bathing suit
Now I'm outside walking, low tide, a sandy beach
The sand is bright and glistens looking toward the rising sun
It's very peaceful there, I love my time alone
I love the water, crabs, fish and clams
The water is my goal, I'm walking that way slowly
There are the seals lying still in the warming sun
They seem asleep where the water comes ashore
I know they're watching me, so I quietly creep forward.
Life begins with innocence, discovery, simple joy
I'm going to say hello to those seals right over there
A seal head arises barely off the sand I can see the nose and eyes
Being studied I sneak along trying to get close by
I've done this other mornings, at about 12 feet away
The seals begin to stir and wiggle, moving toward the water
Like the fun of finding newness, the seals just slip away
Suddenly I hear high pitched cries 'barking ' adults call it it
The group just moves together splashing through the water
Their wiggle crawl continues, its shallow in the bay
Then it's swimming leaving in water trails with noses sticking out
They quietly go under and I am left alone
Every moment of my being does this leaving thing
I have this lonely feeling, I did not pet just one
They got all scaredy cat, went into the water splashed and swam away
I got sad and wondered if tomorrow I'd get here
The moment ended sadly but not a awful way
If they know my powers, no wonder they must flee
They are full of caution and fears especially with me
Wait a minute I see just one there hidden in the sun
He is looking straight at me. I turn and go toward to him
He's friendly I can tell, his whiskers twitch and he has little teeth
I know he likes me and I'm sure he wants to play
My play is so exciting life is easy in my fun
The seals don't see the truth of breathing and life without a fear.
Fears for me are nothing and I'm proving it today
The seals just live all scaredy, for me its fun and play
Suddenly I hear a noise, a shriek, a police dog kind of growl
All at once he's moving coming toward me.
He undulates real fast and now I see huge teeth,
He is going to bite me bad and that's a certainty
I have to run real fast. Running like a racer, I do get away.
I'm safe no bites or blood today. Nothing hurts from being bitten
but inside I am shaky now, no more creeping toward edge
I'm learning life has trouble, I run to get away
Fear is for forgetting but it it takes a little time
Where the water stops and the seals quietly get sun.
Later resting in the morning I'm calming down relaxed
Seals are like some kids who get real mad and fight
Some dogs are barking biters just like that mean old seal
I will keep my distance mean seals and simply stay away
The kids who fight are easy I slug them really hard
Some I get in headlocks or bend their arms to break them
I learned to be so strong inside and fear will go away
Breaking arm's not needed and never happened anyway
But I have real scary power kids feel it and speed away
I am like the harbor seal who growled and charged at me
It's no bluff because at 4 I've never lost a fight, so fierce am I in play
The seals I don't like so much but I can handle kids
That mean old seal embarrassed me with fear and running away
I'm glad I was alone on this sandy beach cause no one saw it happen
But I know the hidden truth, I am scared a lot all day.
I never let it show, with out that seal reminding me I fight it andlet it go
I am a big boy, have strong muscles and wear size 8
If you mess with me I become a big gorilla and will tear you apart
I'm not afraid of anything. I go anywhere I want
I have an image to protect ' don't get in my way '.
My power really spoils me and it scares you a lot
When we play ghost, I'm the ghost and you're the frightened little baby
You will turn to yellow but being chicken is not me