A Message in Prose

I read someone's post earlier today (or yesterday, really), and wanted to respond, to comfort them and show I cared, and to listen if needed. Unfortunately, I found no way to contact them... and as I knew they read my blog, the only way I could come up with to reach them was through a post - but I didn't want it to be too obvious that that was what I was doing. So I said it in a poem - an encoded message in prose. The person's tumblr page was narwhal-oriented - I thought this would be fitting.


To a narwhal

There’s a narwhal in my pond
It’s not a sight I thought I’d see.
That pool is not quite Avalon
And it is clear you don’t feel free
You splash about, you seek escape
My entire lawn you irrigate
But I don’t blame you, as I know
How it must feel to you. And so…

If you see it another way
And recognize my pond is yours
As it has been since yesterday
Since you came knocking at my door
Perhaps you’ll notice, gentle friend
The well-stocked fish, the deeper end,
All sheltered from the elements
It’s like a sea that you I sent.

Gentle narwhal in this sea,
Do you feel all alone?
Your pointed horn doesn’t scare me
Though clearly it you hone
You swim about, happiness feigned
Perhaps you feel you’ve gone insane.
You feel you have no voice, you say,
But as I’ve heard it, I say, nay.

Narwhal, though I’ve not known you long,
I care about you, much.
If you would sing to me your song,
I’d hope your life I’d touch.
A bit of time can take you far;
I’ll come sit down with my guitar
And play for you until you wish
To talk to me, majestic fish

I see you, narwhal, and I hear,
You’ve no one to love, anywhere
And even on my face, a tear
I told you, sweet narwhal: I care.
It pains me to see you like this,
Pretending that nothing’s amiss.
I come to sit down by your sea,
Deluges washing over me.

Narwhal, I want to hear you out,
To listen and understand,
I’d like to know what it’s about
I make you no demands.
To your problems, there must be more
I’d like to hear what came before:
Why you’re so far from ocean free
And how on earth you came to me

O narwhal, just hearken, please,
A problem I’ve unmasked:
I have no way to speak to thee:
Questions I cannot ask.
But I will stay beside you now
I won’t leave, though it disallows
(but I don’t care) my staying dry;
I’ll sit with you ‘neath dark’ning sky.
Narwhal, hear me: I care.