Marineland

Daryl Runswick writes: in 1992 Richard Stilgoe (who I knew through the Share Music courses for disabled people we were both involved in) sent me a lyric out of the blue. Sarah Walker gave the first performance at the Wigmore Hall in London, then in 2000 this version turned up on the BBC, programmed by
Iain Burnside in one of his amusing and adventurous
programmes.

2'21
 
 

The man dives

It is a complicated dive
Involving a somersault and tuck
And a fair degree of luck.
The surface of the pool unzips
And through he slips.
The audience applaud respectfully.

The man swims

Towards the bottom of the pool
Where there are carefully placed pearls
Laid by ersatz native girls.
He brings them to the top, each one.
What fun! Well done!
The audience applaud politely.

The man tries

To rise up six feet from the pool
To where his trainer holds a rubber ring.
He cannot reach the thing –
Falls back into the water, beaten.
The trainer pockets his reward, uneaten.
The man slinks off to get dressed.
The audience (which is made up entirely of dolphins)
Is unimpressed.

   Richard Stilgoe