Bubbles with Edgar
we walk past brightly colored tropical fish,
you ooh and aah a little
at each tank, pause and quiz me
when we get to the clownfish nestled
in an anemone’s welcoming toxicÂ
embrace, but you amble on and on
until we see him;
your face lights up as you run over,
sit down next to a scarred gray grouper
you call Edgar,
I’m sure that’s his name because
nobody else sits with him long enough
to think about it,
so he’s Edgar and your little eyes
sparkle as you babble and Edgar bubbles,
seconds stretch into minutes
as the gnarly grouper listens patiently
to your squeaky sweet stories.
About the Poet
Bill is a submarine officer and Permanent Military Instructor in the English Department at the U.S. Naval Academy. He holds a M.A. in English with a specialization in rhetoric and is passionate about literature, poetry, and creative writing. One of his poems, "Izanami Whispers from the Underworld" appears in The Viridian Door's recent issue, Immortals. Bill frequently works with family, identity, nature, nautical, and Gotchic themes.