And So It Was
Gabriella polished scalloped
angel wings of silver
and shivered in anticipation
wanting to let the innocent
teenager Marina know
what was in store for her.
Marina was a virgin and
had never been told
where babies came from
so she couldn’t understand
how she could give birth
to a savior – although it
wouldn’t be all bad –
but how would it get out?
And she didn’t like the thought
that the Holy Spirit had something
to do with her pregnancy.
She had a lot more questions.
Her childhood buddy, Giuseppe,
exclaimed, “Yo, it’s not mine!”
Neither one of them believed
Gabriella and decided not to cancel
their skin diving trip to Bimini, Bahamas
where they wanted to explore
the oceans on a charter boat.
The waves were raging in white capped
fury – the weather report must have been
wrong - as a fearsome storm came up
tossing them to and fro on the deck.
The captain knew, as he looked at black skies
they would never make it to the islands.
When the boat capsized, and broke up,
Marina swam, trying to hold her head
above water until she felt weighted down
like a stone, sinking fast in the blue abyss.
Lo and behold, a smiling dolphin
arose and scooped her up in his fins
while his friend plucked up Giuseppe
and swam, cradling their limp bodies
to the shelter of a deserted island.
where they smoothed a bed of seaweed
to cushion the lovely Marina
because she looked
kind of bloated – maybe
it was all the salt water.
They never guessed she was with child!
What could dolphins know?
They’re smart, but not omniscient!
Three red snapper fish, chewing gum,
spread the word as they popped bubbles
that something miraculous
was going to happen because they could
feel it in their gills in the slow dance
of moonlit shadows in the magical night.
It was a starry eve with one star beaming
like a spotlight, luring stranded wise sailors
to the seaweed where Marina lay,
swaddling her babe in her wet suit.
The wise seamen didn’t have much
but gave Marina gifts of fish,
lobster and fresh island water
so she could nourish her newborn child.
Giuseppe was running around in circles –
you would have thought he had been the one
who had given birth to the infant!
What a belly-acher he was!
Jupiter and Pluto came up from the sea to visit
harnessing two dolphins to driftwood,
to take Marina and Giuseppe
to the wondrous island of Bimini
so King Neptune couldn’t
find the exalted baby, Immanuel,
and kill him at his gate
because it was rumored that
when he grew up,
he would become the blessed
savior of the world.
And so it was.