what's an ahab to do? hot to trot on the beach salt crusting my mouth baked and begging to take a stab at whale tail harpoon in hand, i make a splash diving down to the floor an ocean undulating, feet flailing wildly i breach the surface then gasp for air unable to fight for long, the calf relents writhing in a pool of her own fluids she shudders, closing her eyes sated by the bloodless death