Ocean creatures are finding small ways to make us question our assumptions about them. We discovered earlier this week that dolphins recognize the whistles of other dolphins they shared a tank with 20 years earlier. That’s a better memory than most middle aged men I know, some of whom can’t remember who they met yesterday. And no, I can’t recall who I’m talking about, specifically.
But you can usually ignore dolphins and other water-dwellers if you stay on land – or so we thought until yesterday. Now it seems the beasts of the deep want to disrupt our daily routines, perhaps as a preview of how it will be once climate change causes the oceans to rise and flood low-lying areas like Manhattan.
Case in point: a story that got a lot of attention yesterday featured a dead shark discovered riding a New York Subway.
This idea of a straphanger Shark is bound to gain currency for a while. Look for cartoons and You Tube videos. Maybe there’s a movie in the works. Oh, wait, that was Sharknado!
Anyone wishing to capitalize on Subway Shark frenzy will have to take the next step by going both bigger and smaller a the same time. I suggest ripping off Dr.Seuss.
We were heading for home on the subway one day
We were too tired to speak. There was nothing to say
It was Sally and me at the back of a train
that smelled fishy and dank, but we didn’t complain.
The car clattered and rattled and squeaked on its track.
The lights flickered a bit. It got bright and then black.
And then darker than pitch. Clearly something was wrong.
While the squeaking we’d heard transformed into a song.
“What’s that noise?” Sally shouted. The deafening trill
became loud as a whistle and two times as shrill.
And then everything stopped – both the train and the sound!
When we got off the floor we both looked all around.
Peering deep in the tunnel – the source of the din –
we saw two giant eyeballs there, peering back in.
“Don’t be scared” said a voice. “I am harmless,” it joked.
“You’re too late,” I replied, for my trousers were soaked.
“I am sorry for that.” He was big. He was pale.
“You can just call me Moby. The Whale on the Rail.”
“He should not be down here,” stammered Sally, to me.
“Because whales belong down in the depths of the sea.”
“That is true,” said the whale. His breath stank of dead fish.
“But as long as I’m here, we can do what you wish.”
“There are games for commuters and whales we can play.”
“If you have a sharp knife and a sea bass to flay.”
“We do not have a knife,” I replied, in a peep.
“That is not a good game. You go back to the deep.”
But the Whale on the Rail only blinked at us twice.
Then he said, “Maybe some other game would be nice.”
“We could play ‘Where’s Your Blowhole?’ he said. “That is fun.”
“Not for us,” shot back Sally. “Because we don’t have one.”
“So you think,” said the whale. At his voice, the car shook.
“But you always find one in the last place you look.”
“The conductor is coming,” I said. “Swim away.”
But the Whale only smiled. “I would much rather play.”
We all know how this ends.
Add a few lines to “The Whale on the Rail.”
Trail Baboon 
Good morning.
I said, ” you are much too big to play a game of hide and seek”
“Beside, I don’t trust you, I am very sure that you would peek.”.
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so we spend the whole day with that whale on the train
it helps when you play if you use your whale brain
we had really good fun and played really good games
but his fish slime got on us and the smells how they came
but you must no be rude to you freinds new or old
and this fish played so nicely as we ran and we rolled
we played fish games we learned from our new friend and songs
it was really good fun playing hard for so for so long
our fish friend was such a good new friend to find
we just love playing stuff with a friend of that kind
we played for hours and hours and we learned how fish roll
but i never did find where i hide my blow hole
i think that fish learned that game from our leader our dale
who grew up in the day when no one went to jail
our leader would take all the neighborhood kids
and and do some exploring yes thats just what he did
and they would find lots of things while they explored away
in the back of the barn way back in the day
its not quite the same with a fish but its fun
with the fish me and sally i was usually the one
but the day was so wonderful filled with smile and laughs
we pretended we were tigers and frogs and giraffes
the conductor who worked on that train let us play
with our new friend on that train for the whole doggone day
we
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One fish, two fish, lets play games, please.
Red fish Blue fish, you are a whale! Geez!
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This morning six barn swallows sat outside the living room windows and chirrped and clicked and chitted and I wondered what they were talking about. Probably taking about that whale.
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I think that Dale swallowed his snoose
and ended up sounding like much like Dr. Seuss.
I hope you forgive me if I sound kind of shirty,
but a couple of the couplets seem rather dirty.
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Rewrite:
I think that Dale swallowed his snoose
and ended up sounding like a Swedish Dr. Seuss
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Oh, Clyde. Hearing from you is a breath of fresh air!
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Clyde has returned! We’re delighted you’re back.
And a dumb rhyme enticed you to give me some flack.
While I’d never use snoose, I can guess what you meant
To be Seuss to the Swedes would be some compliment!
And the fact that you thought some lines almost obscene
Makes me happy and proud, if you know what I mean.
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The whale it did seem was really just a part of a dream
Caused by too much Mini-sota Donut Ice Cream
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PSA – reminder that the “Celebrate BethAnn’s Ice Cream” gathering is Sunday at 1 p.m. at VS’s house. Someone has signed up to bring root beer, sprinkles. Anybody willing to pick up chocolate/fudge sauce or gingerale?
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I am planning to come and I can bring chocolate sauce. I think I can find your place, VS. Perhaps you should email me your address. I thinking it is easy to find your place and I did stop by there once to leave a book, but I my memory of where you live could be in error.
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I can be on ginger ale duty along with the sprinkles. 😀
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I’d commit to something, but I’m not sure I’m going to make it. Things still a little shaky around here.
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Morning all. I’ve jumped back onto the blog about five times this morning thinking that “this” will be the time that I rhyme. But first day back in the office is making me nauseous.
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We meant what we said and we said what we meant
Humans lack blowholes, 100 percent.
Where DO you spout air? asked the skeptical whale
Do you keep it inside you and let it grow stale?
At that very moment Sally sneezed a great sneeze
The snot that shot out matched the color of peas.
A displeasurable moan poured forth from the whopper
He turned on his fluke and said something improper.
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woo hoo donna.
nice couplets
leave it to you to mention blowhole and a whopper improper in the same stanza
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Here’s something else that happened recently in NYC. The young man mentioned in the article (Eric) is my son.
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/dog-owner-ordered-pit-bull-attack-dogs-prospect-park-police-article-1.1418289
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Of course your kids were raised to be helpful!!!! But this really makes you wonder what goes on in some people’s heads, doesn’t it?
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Yes. Very disturbed. I commended Eric for his role in the arrest, followed by, “When are you moving away from there?!”
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i am proud of him for you. being the guy who helps the world be a better place is a good thing
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NYC certainly has it’s share of weirdos. Good for your son, Donna. For a minute there I thought you were going to say that this is your son:
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Flash mob of one? My favorite video in this genre was a couple of musicians and a singer who performed really quality music all the way up and down an elevator of a 30-story office building. Their performance was so infectious that several of the elevator’s startled occupants began dancing to the beat!
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I tried finding it on youtube, Cb, without luck. Have any idea what it might be called?
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Ha ha. I saw that earlier too. Sure beats any subway entertainment I’ve seen out there! Did you show it to Hans?
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I didn’t, Donna, Don’t want to him any ideas.
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The whale advanced toward Sally and started to spout
Sally told me that it is time for us to find a way out.
She said, “that whale’s name is Moby and he wants give us a ride.
That would not be a good thing, that’s how Captain Ahab died”.
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Sally said, “The whale on the rail had a whale of a tail.
If we value our life, we must escape without fail.”
We got down on our knees and crawled our of that place.
That whale on the rail was way too much for us to face.
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And then the whale found a young child named Bei Fei (pronounced bay-fay)
Who was so cute with his shock of dark hair that it nearly made his heart melt away.
And look, his brother Namyin is there, too (also with a headful of hair)
In his own little box and his own little supply of air.
So tiny they have to be in NICU for a while, so the whale will have to wait
To play with them until they have considerably more weight.
I am very very bad at writing rhymes but this is my feeble try
To announce my twin grandsons born this morning, no lie.
(Bei Fei Ira Yan and his brother Namyin Alexi Yan. The last name means Swallowtail, and together with both first names, you have the meaning of Fly North, Swallowtail, symbolizing the hope that spring often brings.)
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Congratulations, Edith, wonderful news. Hope your daughter and her two little sons are doing well. What an exciting day for you.
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Daughter says she feels much LIGHTER after having two babies inside her. The birth went well, and no C-section, hooray, but she was at only 33 weeks and one baby is just shy of 4 lbs. while the other is just over 4 lbs. They are breathing on their own, with some “wind” blowing in to help them breathe deeper and they each have an IV. I don’t think they can swallow yet. But they are doing fine for how early they are!
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My son was 3.6 pounds and now is 6’5′ and weighs 240. Why did I ever worry?
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Good point, Renee. Good to know that these tiny babies can turn out just fine in the long run. I think they will do just fine. But I doubt that they will ever be as big as your son – the gene pool doesn’t run to that size. My daughter is “tall” – compared to me, that is – which means she is about average in height. And the dad is about the same height!
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Congratulations to you and your family, Edith! Those are two tiny babies, but we are sending big wishes for quick growth and happy lives!
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Edith, I’m curious about the names. I’m assuming the names reflect their father’s heritage, whatever that is?
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The first and last names are Chinese and, yes, the father is Chinese. His family came to the USA from Hong Kong when he was 14.
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Great news, Edith. I think your rhymes are just fine telling us about the twins that would melt the heart of the whale.
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Thanks, Jim!
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Fabulous news — I can’t remember… are these the first grand kidlets?
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VS, I have a 2-year-old granddaughter, my oldest daughter’s daughter. The twins are my middle daughter’s babies. Just to make things more confusing, oldest daughter is expecting her second child – a boy – in November. So I will be going from having 3 daughters and 1 granddaughter to still having the daughters & granddaughter but also having THREE grandsons. I was kinda expecting things to go more slowly…like one grandchild at a time instead of a little population explosion all at once.
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When it rains, it pours I guess! I’m so excited for you, Edith. This is a very emotional time, no doubt, fraught with anxiety about the little guys. Hang in there, and enjoy each moment as precious.
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Edith, so very happy for all your family.
For the record, the s&h was 3lbs. 13.5 oz. or as I like to put it, just a bit smaller than your average sack of sugar.
First month in ICU was a bit complicated, but nothing with long-term effects. No health issues since. Maybe all that time in the plastic box is why he reads so much ;).
My folks also have 3 grandsons, closely spaced. Be prepared for some loud holidays in the near future, but I don’t think there has been much breakage.
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Congratulations Edith to you and all in your family! (and what wonderful names!)
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Congratulations Edith! And Mom and Dad and Twins!
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Fun reading from those who rose to the challenge today!
I’m too tired to rhyme, so I’ll just tip my hat and say goodnight.
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Fun reading from those who rose to the challenge today!
I’m too tired to rhyme,so ill just slip away
with a shark in my dreams as i drift off to sleep
dale mentioned it earlier , we will not make a peep
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edith i particularly love the english infusion. were these you family names or just an attempt at cross cultural naming ira and alexis in the middel of those chines names is like trying to say robert michale wong fu smith and thinking no one would notice.
glad number 2 is feeiling lighter and all is well. 4 lbs is a healthy weight for preemies to start their run at the world from. bring em over for ice cream on sunday. introduce the newest baboons.
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They chose the first names because of their meaning . Dad of course had to come up with names with the meanings they were looking for – daughter wanted names to symbolize hope, and spring symbolizes hope to her, so Fly North Swallowtail worked well – and also find names that us non-Chinese people could pronounce easily. Daughter got to choose the middle names, although dad did veto some before they settled on these (I have a feeling that there are lot of american names he just doesn’t like!).
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