No More or

The Ballad of the Rogue Wave

Once, it doesn’t seem so long ago,

When our baby was just ten months old, or so,

We were having a peaceful, relaxing day

On a beautiful beach, in Horseshoe Bay.

I was sitting in the clear, shallow water

Holding and playing with my tiny daughter.

The water was warm and gently lapping.

Naomi was kicking and playing and clapping.

She was such a happy and contented one.

She loved the sea, the sand and the sun.

When suddenly a huge rogue wave came surging along.

Lifting us up with a force so strong.

It washed my baby right out of my sight,

And I was dumped on my spine by the sea’s crushing might.

Like all mothers, I was oblivious to the pain,

Being so desperate to find my baby again.

I cried out to God, "Am I one of your sheep?"

"Oh Lord, the water is now so murky and deep!"

"Please give me back my baby," I cried.

I had this awful despair and terror inside!

At once, miraculously, I found her right there!

Standing up quickly, I held her up for some air.

She was laughing and giggling and kicking again.

She thought, in her innocence, we were playing a game.

There was delight in her eyes. She said, "More, More."

In agony, but with much gratitude, I staggered ashore;

Although the base of my spine stung for a year,

The Lord God was so merciful that day, and so near.

I kissed her little face and holding her firmly

I cried, "No more. No more, my dear, dear baby."

Today I can believe in the frightful ferocity

And the crashing force of a recent tsunami!

How devastatingly cruel was the sea

As it smashed all things indiscriminately!

I experienced a small sample of it, though, that day

On a beautiful beach at Horseshoe Bay.

And – If there is a moral to this story and someone it saves,

It’s: Don’t sit in the shallows with your back to the waves!

Lorraine Capon

I went wheezing down the track

Coming home from high school

Off the bus,

I had an asthma attack.

The ground was dusty, the weather not cool,

Just ahead of me, a few metres away

A huge red bellied black had decided to stray

Across my path.

She looked up at me.

Two metres long from what I could see.

I could not move. I was too sick.

I was not agile. I had no big stick.

Very soon we made eye contact.

I studied her and she studied me.

I felt no fear, as a matter of fact.

I thought how beautiful a snake could be

Black scales glistening in the dying sun.

And red belly glowing. A magnificent one.

The big snake looked away quite quickly

Showing no interest in one so sickly.

Slithering slowly on she crossed,

And in a neighbouring paddock, immediately lost.

I told no one then of this meeting.

To me it was a gentle greeting.

I knew people would be out to get her.

She was my friend. I would protect her.

Much kinder to me had she been

Than three children, neighbours, quite mean.

When they spotted me wheezing along,

They were so brave and so strong

Taking turns, riding bikes into me,

Taking delight in being as cruel as could be.

I have great pleasure remembering today,

A big black snake was much nicer than they.

Lorraine Capon

Lorraine Capon

Created by Lorraine & Geoff Capon