My heart skips a beat
My skin stands on end
I have to remember to breathe
Calmly, deeply, out and in,
Slow down, relax, be still.
The flutter in my heart defies the logic in my brain.
I know I should not fear,
I know I am quite safe, and
Fear, what an unworthy emotion
To do justice to my liege.
Oh, the Lion has been lorded as the king of all the land,
And the bold and proud Peacock has pranced in the gardens of princes,
But no man can contain,
Nor any animal compare,
In regal presence,
Royal force,
Commanding stature,
Unparalleled grace,
Indiscriminate power,
Unmatched might,
Singular in strength
And so unconcerned with the petty human politics of smiles and swooning,
Jumping cutely and carousing,
Just for show,
No.
The Shark reigns alone.
And has reigned for the past
Millions of years
And will reign still
For millions more.
And what ungrateful fools are we
To debase these supreme rulers
With such frivolous feelings of
Fear and loathing,
When upon them the highest form ought to be bestowed of
Reverence, Awe, Respect.
Fortunately,
The Shark cares not.
Be it fear, hate, love or adoration.
The Shark goes on.
Fiercely forever.
—
Hannah Tannenbaum hails from New York City, but has spent her life chasing the ocean. She is a dive instructor, marine educator, and the current program coordinator of a masters program in marine biodiversity and conservation at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego.
