A long, long way from grassy plains,
They bask in salty ocean breeze,
They live beside the rolling mains,
And there they sing the song of seas.

Along the wharf, the harbor side,
Our world meets theirs in shouts and pleas,
"Some fish for you sir, fresh or fried?"
Around us fog and steam unite,
We eddy and swirl like the tide.

This crossing place is filled with light,
The water glints with moonlight shine,
And fish scales shimmer in the night,
Propelled through mist and noise and wine,
A glimmer hovers on the waves,
Mirage of Venus, light divine.

The air is damp, as cool as caves,
It lingers soft upon the skin,
Baptismal grace which heals and saves,
Absolving us of landed sin.

We take a breath, and we dive in.