Slippery performed
and my eight-year-old
heart applauded
cheered when he escaped,
mourned the capture,
prayed for flight’s courage
but survival skills
eluded – was certain
I would starve, die
in a cave where
animals would gnaw
on my bones, and
family, unconcerned,
would sigh and say:
She’s just being Slippery.
(Slippery was the name of a sea lion who performed at a local’s children’s attraction in the 60’s. He escaped into the Thames River and was captured again. I can remember being torn between sorrow for him that he didn’t want to be there, and sorrow for us that he didn’t love us the way loved him.
It’s Open Link Night at dVerse, and I am also submitting this for 50 Word Thursday, Fandango’s: guess, and Ragtag Community’s prompt: slippery.)
Oh — what a wonderful child’s perspective on an animal….love the name…and love the quandry the child is in…missing Slippery, sad he’s gone….but happy he’s escaped? Have you seen the movie Free Willy?
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Oh yes. Same for of thing
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I grew up in that area, but I guess I missed this story! I felt a parallel in your words between the seal and other experiences. That need to flee …with uncertainty. You bring another dynamic into this with the idea of Slippery not loving the audience as much as they loved him. So true.
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Thanks so much, Mish. If you’ve been to Storybook, they have (had) a statue erected to Slippery. Not sure what is there today – that’s a few years back, lol.
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It’s the same with all relationships…the balance between holding on and letting go. We often fail to give validity to the animal’s point of view in human-animal ones. (K)
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It’s a tenuous line, isn’t it? Seems we were commenting on each other’s work at the same time, lol.
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We all need to escape something, but then the question, what then? This is poignant.
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Exactly. Thanks, Lona
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I’m glad you explained about Slippery. I can understand your feelings–wanting to see him and wanting to him to be free, too. I don’t like to see animals kept this way.
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…and I was at that tender age… Thanks, Merril.
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There are competing sorrows realizing the sea lion didn’t want to be there.
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Yes, and my own desire to flee. Thanks Frank
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what a moving story… i loved to visit the zoo or seal shows when i was a kid but growing up i understand that freedom is huge – for people as well as for animals
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Yes…thanks, Claudia.
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I love poems that contain stories at the heart of them. Narrative is always wonderful. That’s why I love Billy Collins!
You managed to share this story so deftly we are all thinking about Slippery today 🙂
Great picture too.
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Thanks Shaista. I appreciate you talking time to read and comment.
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You’re welcome!
Also I’ve just realised my comments link to the wrong blog 🙈
I write poetry at http://www.lupusinflight.com
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Thanks for letting me know. I enjoyed your write ups about the books actually. I will visit the other site. I have two sites also – it gets confusing, lol.
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True love shows in every word written here. The sadness is so touching. I too hate to see animals or birds in cages.
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Thank you
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Your seal story in the poem reminds me of popular celebrities who like the sea lion, perform for us, but as much as we love them, they have not connection to us.
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As a child we see the joy received watching the performance…yet even when the animal escapes we enjoy the freedom for the animal…that young an age would definitely cause an emotional conundrum when the poor seal was recaptured. beautifully penned
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Thank you Dorianna. children’s hearts are so tender.
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+ 1 thanks for this story and reminding us about the suffering of other creatures as part of the entertainment biz. I so liked that you took this in other directions – the image of your bones in the cave and your tutting family is a beauty.
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Thanks Peter. I felt so attached to that sea lion for some reason.
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I feel sad and happy at the same time. I don’t believe keeping animals in cages or in shows. Thanks for sharing the story of the sea lion.
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Thank you, Grace.
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Interesting focus here – I do remember this story, I think… Or maybe its a myth you planted in my being now! There is always a poignancy around animals being expected to perform.
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He was the only sea lion I had ever seen, and such a character. The Thames River is the one in Ontario, if that helps spark further thoughts. Slippery was the star of Storybook Gardens.
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That was wonderful. I think we all have a memory of a Slippery. ☺
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The magic of childhood. Thanks, Deb.
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Thank you for sharing the story of Slippery. It touched my heart.
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Thanks Beverly.
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What a touching slice of memory, sweet and sad. I wonder how joyful were the days that Slippery was free. I hate seeing birds in cages too.
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Our climate is foreign to sealions – sad really.
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I love seals. They are so social and irascible. Poor Slippery. She didn’t want to be an exhibit. She wanted to be free. One of the three times I was taken to a circus, thee was a seal act. I didn’t care for it and cried. I cried at the big cats, the elephants, the horses. My parents stopped taking me after that. Then I became acquainted with seals again in San Diego. they were in the ocean. They were free. They made me laugh. A lot of nostalgia in this. A lot of wondering why the love wasn’t reciprocated with the child’s not understanding freedom.
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Thanks for picking up on that. I always thought I’d like to be a seal, lol.
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I liked the stories of the selkies a lot. I too wanted to be a seal.
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Maybe in the next life….
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Maybe 🙂
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I loved the backstory.. how someone so loved could escape and the mixed feeling of him escaping and losing him…
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Thanks Bjorn – not sure the poem works without it.
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