Belly to the moon

Did you know that tuna fish
Float up to the surface –
Belly to the moon –
Just to cool their heart down?
‘Cos it helps them just to think
About the hurtful things.
I guess it’s just one way
To get them some sedation.

Emiliana Torrini, ‘Tuna Fish’

I suppose we all need to cool our hearts down sometimes… the words floated through the centre of my skull today, between doing what felt like the sixtieth edit of a book I’ve worked on for two years… Reaching the surface must be the most incredible thing for a fish. The promise of light, huge flat rays penetrating the rippling surface and reflecting off anything in its way. The sea is full of life, ever-moving, ever-changing, evermore. There’s nothing stagnant about the ocean. Those tuna fish taking a few seconds to float under the midday sun must be the luckiest creatures in the world…