How To Draw A Dolphin

One wonders how would I draw a dolphin

if I had to? until that day the complimentary

bookmark in your library book slips out and

you notice it reads How To Draw a Dolphin.

You flip it over and find yourself stunned for

there they are—five squiggle sequences leading

from the rather embryonic to the clearly dolphinic.

You begin rehearsing this creation narrative and

in no time flat you’re doodling dolphins on junk

mail envelopes, restaurant receipts, and twice in

the margins of your Bible when the sermon slogged.

 

Life is on occasion like that. You wonder how would I

(fill in the blank) if I had to? and life says okay here’s

a nudge at no-cost. Something falls in your lap

or someone crosses your path and suddenly you’re

in possession of rules that if faithfully followed have

you playing “Theme from Ice Castles” for friends or

saddling a horse without having to think twice or

reading your published flash fiction on the web.

That last example (being published) is impressive,

no doubt. But its really all the same—drawing dolphins,

learning French, being kind—begin, then practice.

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8 Comments

  1. Caroline Starr Rose on June 15, 2020 at 7:14 am

    This made me smile — especially Ice Castles.

  2. Cherry on June 15, 2020 at 10:02 am

    Now you’ve got me humming Ice Castles – haven’t done that for 25 years.

  3. Jacky on June 15, 2020 at 12:38 pm

    Yep yep. You captured that truth beautifully, John. Thank you.

  4. Rhonda on June 15, 2020 at 3:21 pm

    “From the rather embryonic to the clearly dolphinic” — three cheers for this line. I”m 2 weeks unemployed (for COVID reasons) and this helped me think of what could be .

  5. Sherrey Meyer on June 15, 2020 at 9:42 pm

    Beautiful message of truth captured here. Thanks, John!

  6. Amy K Sorrells on June 23, 2020 at 6:51 pm

    “…twice in the margins of your Bible when the sermon slogged.” LOL! But seriously, love this post.

    • Janysek Roy on August 1, 2020 at 3:42 pm

      Intriguing thought on learning, love the ending be kind, practice. Such a need for that this year.

  7. Yolanda on August 25, 2020 at 6:44 pm

    Yes, really, we’d take the words like “published” less seriously if we kept this perspective, doodled more often, built more castles in the sand.

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