Under the Sea with Alicia Maki, Age 12

Some bubbles, coral reefs, and maybe some fish under the sea
Is all SCUBA Diving had ever seemed like to me

My parents had both done it, but it seemed dangerous and scary
Which is why when the question came up, I was instantly wary

A simple dive, the instructor said. It should be pretty easy
Ok, I said. So we hopped on the boat; I'd never felt so queasy

Regulator in my mouth, tank feeling like a weight-filled sack
I fought to get my flippers on, then flip-flopped to the back

Hold your hand on your equipment, they said, and take a big step forward
I looked down, took a breath, and plunged to my horror

But then I was told to deflate, which meant it was time to sink
My adrenaline rushed, my brain started to think

Sharks, stingrays, maybe an electric eel?
Oh my gosh, my stomach was turning a never ending cartwheel!

But then I stopped and looked around
And there was nothing but beautiful, colorful things to be found!

We swam like little fish and even got a picture of a turtle!
Any fear that I'd had before, I'd gotten over like a hurdle

I loved that dive, I wanted to do it again
On a scale of 1-5, I'd give it a 10!

But sadly, there wasn't enough time before we would leave
That news, that news, I could hardly believe!

But this winter, when my family went to Turks,
We made ourselves a schedule where frequent dives would work

While we were there, to prove we weren't babies
Certification courses? They asked. A definite maybe!

That maybe turned into a yes, which meant 3 hours of videos and bookwork to start
Oh geez, I thought, "When it comes to SCUBA diving, we are definitely going to be smart!"

And smart we were, because by the time we some pool and ocean dives, plus a couple of tricks,
We were certified, with experience solid as bricks!

So, after seeing the beauty of the underwater world
Let me list for you some things I saw through the water that swirled:

Reef sharks, barracuda, stingray, trumpet fish too
Little yellow fish that swam up to check you out, flashy multicolored coral and plants that were blue

And on top of everything there was the prettiest arrangement of confetti  Almost microscopic fish of every color that were so cool that when the dive was over, you just weren't ready!

And so, what I once thought was just bubbles and "blub blub blub" breathe
Is not only fascinating, it's a part of me!