The Blue Whale
(Natural History Museum, London)
The mandibles look like the tusks
of some gigantic bull elephant bagged
by hunters posing for a photograph
in pith helmets next to a tent
and a wind up phonograph.
I reckon the Titanic’s ballroom band
could easily have played inside the blue
whale’s mouth. I can almost hear an echo
of song full of the blood and guts of the sea
that haunt harpoonists in their deep dreams.
The blue whale is slowly diving from
the vaulted ceiling of the cathedralesque
museum to the marble floor, as schools
of kids swim up between its ribs, teachers
shouting at them to come down, right now!
Gary Jude is from London. For many a year now, he has lived and worked in Bern, Switzerland. He has been published variously across magazines and journals.