Paul J Penton – Songwriter

Killer Whale- Daily Object Writing Sept 22

A world map in black and white, gleaming and shining in Briney oblivion. Not something to be stuffed and mounted; too big. A blowhole atop a head speaking air, rows of perfect teeth fed by a diet of high protein fish, strictly Lo-Carb this animal No seaweed munching vegetarian. The water may be cold as he cuts through but his body is like tempered plastic, toughened against the chill. Radar smell scents a penguin or a fish or a seal in need of chasing, in the depths below the light is dim, hazy like a street lit badly from a 40’s black and white movie and he’s a gangster cruising with hat tipped forward and a tommy gun under his coat. He looks harmless but under the cover of that oily skin there’s a serial killer the Dexter of the sea. Just because he looks nice doesn’t mean he is.

Caged animals we see in parks have been domesticated, the real deal in the ocean is pure frenzy in a scrap….I think I’ve seen one in real life at one of those side show aquatic places, trained to jump through hoops, water dripping in gleaming beams from a hide while my flashy arse was numbed by a flat plastic chair. Them and the dolphins and of course the seals – taught to be cheeky as hell- make sure they don’t go in the same cage or pool. Reminds me of this other place in Mooloolaba; Underwater world or something, they had mini manta rays at the entrance, a pool of them. Ffloating triangles like hors d’ouvre bites you get at parties . The edges of their wings flittering like fields of wheat in the wind. We walk through a plexiglass tunnel where sharks and multicoloured fish shoot their eyes at us in vacant disinterest.