You and Me and the Manatee

Just you and me, on the way to the sea,
with the sun so bright and the day so fine,
“My darling, I love you, and think fondly of you,
most all of the time.”

Just me and you, by the water so blue,
having our lunch at a seaside cafe,
when what should we see but a grand manatee
strolling up from the bay.

“By jove!” said he, “How delightful to see
sophisticated city folk here by the tides.
Let's dine here together, discussing whatever
our fancies decide.”

He pulled up a chair. When the waitress got there,
he ordered an “L” and went on to explain,
“An 'L', you see, is like a BLT,
only rather more plain.”

He started to chat about this and that
but mostly the virtues of life in the sea.
“You’d like it,” he told us, it’s charms he extolled us
most eloquently.

“Mermaids,” he said, with a nod of his head,
“are simply the finest, most talented folks,
with all the best graces, the loveliest faces,
and funniest jokes.”

He talked facing you, but I nodded too,
tapping my foot and grimacing toward him.
The manatee’s stances on my significant glances
was that he ignored them.

I said, “It’s been great, but this is sort of a date.”
As though I weren’t there, he went right on conversing:
“You’d love the whale songs! They sing all night long,
and spend all day rehearsing.”

Just you and me, and the manatee,
as I sat and I waited to slip in a word
but the manatee blurted out praises and flirted
as though undeterred.

Then “Dear one,” said he (to you, not to me),
“I feel we’ve connected. Do you feel it too?
Come swim by my side as my beautiful bride
In the ocean so blue!”

I said "I object! Sir, you've been too direct!
Or the likelier case is that I've been too slow!
My darling," I said to you, "I'd like to be wed to you!
Please tell him no!"

Complete silence followed. I sputtered and swallowed.
You blinked in confusion, and I’m sure so did I,
But the manatee laughed and he patted my back
With a wink of his eye.

"My boy!" He professed. "What a thing to confess!
I had no idea! Well, now I suppose
That it would be rude for me to intrude
While you properly propose."

He wished us best wishes, then returned to the fishes.
I struggled to find the right words for awhile,
then I shrugged a small plea and got down on one knee,
And you gave me a smile.

Just you and me, heading home from the sea,
With the manatee waving goodbye from the sand.
Just me and you, with the sky so blue,
And your hand in my hand.