The Water's Edge:

photography and words

by Clarissa Vincent

2005

One of my favourite spots in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is the marina slipway. Ripples wet my shoes. Breathless waters speak of blubber mouth ships, fish that fly over hills of water, birds that swim above under sea mountains reaching up three thousand metres to within twenty metres of the surface. There are silent calms and far away shores where other faces gaze at the waters edge. An overly self critical mood can soon be bought into a state of amused reflection by the hilarious outbursts of gulls, or the sight of a dog barking at the water.
A short tale about a dog at the water's edge.

On the beach at San Sebastian, on the island of La Gomera, a man became concerned. His dog swam in circles barking in a terrified manner. So, the man stripped to his underpants and swam out to rescue the dog. Soon the dripping pair stood back on the sand.
The dog shook itself thanked the man with a grin, then ran straight back into the sea and paddled out beyond the breakers to carry on yelping frantically.

The dog was not drowning but wagging.

©Clarissa Vincent. 2005

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