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.