Seals in the Harbor

At Chatham Harbor in Cape Cod

Lives a colony of seals at play

In the sea in the usual way

Foraging on fish and crustaceans

Chasing down seagulls in the most

Playful way you can think of, and

Basking under the sea on the water

In a home that provides

Shelter from sharks and storms alike

While little islands around the harbor

Allow them to rest on land and raise

Their pups if they need to.

The harbor also serves as a haven to

Those who wish to see the seals at play

While the fishermen are at their work

Where handouts from a day’s work could

At hand for the hungry animals.

Whenever there are handouts

A feast ensues by the seals as they

Feed on whatever fish doesn’t end up

on a human plate, while the people

watched from near and far

with delight and curiosity

over something they thought could

only be seen on some TV show.

With the feast comes a sight of spectral

Proportions where the seals dive for the fish

That fall into the sea before picking them back

Up again before finally taking a bite out of a treat

That could only come from the harbor.

Yet, while the harbor may be a safe haven at times,

The sharks themselves may not really know that

Because as they say, wherever there are seals,

There will be sharks and that would mean

That the sharks can come into the harbor in search

Of those harbor-bound seals at any given time

Because that is how nature intends it to be.