Sea foam sizzles and waves rumble,
and both call me right to the edges
because I feel no choice but to see life
in contrasting metaphor,
how Love is thunder and a settling
into sands, gentle dance of bubbles in glass
Pelicans hover over waters
as on our honeymoon 17 years ago,
and it is a breath-catching gift, this sight,
this memory,
because we’ve never seen them
on our stretch of Pacific
We watch birds skim waves
like prehistoric creatures until they catch
a glimpse, make their bodies arrow slim,
dive below the surface,
gulp up beakfuls of fish and invisible things
with soup ladle mouths
We recall pre-wrinkles, pre-midline pooch,
pre-almost everything that would be us,
how we could not tire of watching these birds from
our veranda on the Bay of Zihuatanejo
so many Aprils ago,
the artfulness of their lingering and plunging
because we saw the metaphor
then, too
We choose to plunge over and over again,
don’t we, love,
hovering over everyday before piercing surfaces,
sometimes shocking each other with our
sudden mouthfuls and
water streaming from corners,
and you’re right close to me
when we pause on the rocks to share our catch,
bones and all
Connecting through the power of stories written, spoken and lived
This takes my breath away. How these metaphors of the everyday, and of the not-so-often, too, carry us to the edges and help frame the glory. You did that masterfully here, dear friend, and in large part because you live and see and love as this poet. You and Michael inspire me. xo
Dear, love, the way you put this about the edges helps me understand this writing journey of ours. Thank you. You inspire me continually as you seek and ask and love. You are a tender grace in my life. xoxo
I love everything about this.
These words jumped out at me. “Love is a thunder and a settling.” “Soup-ladle mouths.”
And the ending. I’m so glad I didn’t miss it.
Thank you for so generously sharing your poetic wisdom, Sandra, and for your encouragement both here and on FB. You helped me with that ending, ya know. Much love to you.
Ashley, how love-filled. You show me love in new ways. Fresh and clean, salty and briney. Love lives in ever line. I want to remain in your poetry.
What a compliment, poet friend. Thank you. So much love to you.
Lovely
Thank you so much for being here, Sunny.
And now I know you and hear your voice in every word, the gentle inflections, dips and rises as you tell me, us…just how much this love has meant. Love your heart Ashley and how you celebrate the glory and wreckage of a lifetime of memories. SandraHeskaKing (because you have to say it all together like that) took my favorite line.
Lisha, love, I feel just the same way now reading your words. It’s a gift, isn’t it, to know the writer’s voice and the writer’s VOICE? Thank you for your encouragement here. You are a dear one in my life.
Fantastic. I love the picture this paints on so many, very rich levels and depths. Inspiring. Thank you for baring your heart and being brave, friend! Beautiful!
As you know, it was the kind of brave you don’t know you’re being until later. Oopsies. :-) Thank you for going to the depths with me. I appreciate you, Jess.
These words and your love are breathtaking. Gah. I could gaze at the wonder of this a while… I love you, dear sister.
Bless you, and thank you, sister. You have my heart.
I just read this to my love of almost 45 years this morning and we smiled remembering all the plunging we have done and how we are still here and keep on plunging and coming up with mouths full, sometimes with things that are hard, but always coming back to the loving and the caring and the we’re-in-this-together for always and a I-see-you and here we area nd always will be. i see your beautiful smile as I read this.
Oh, Carol – the fact that you would read this to your husband of 45 years – wow. And that it would resonate – wow. And that you would take the time to tell me – wow. I am humbled by and grateful for your words and by you sharing a part of your journey here with us in the comments. So much love.
As always… you leave me breathless and in awe with the beauty of your words, my friend! Happy Anniversary to you and your Honey… may you continue to dive deep, to pause on rocks and to share you catch, side by side! Love you bunches!
Thanks for the love and blessings, Karrilee. You are a gift, my friend. Right now I am lifting up prayers for you and your love. That you would be sustained and encouraged and emboldened for your tasks, and that you may enjoy space to pause on the rocks together. xoxo
love, love, love, Ashley! The way you ended? That last stanza? It’s my favorite. Gave me goose bumps. Happy anniversary, friend. You are so full of loveliness.
So much love to you, Laura. Thank you for your wisdom, encouragement and presence. You bless me.
Too many lines to put in quotes…I’m with Laura the last stanza—nailed it…When I saw you asking all the poets advice, I knew I would need to see what you had cooking over here! Glad I came over. Oh, how love the power poetry has to dance in the mysteries of story.
Thanks so much for coming over, Dea. I love how you’ve said this: “the power poetry has to dance in the mysteries of story.” Yes, that is exactly it. It’s why when I started this as a prose piece, I had to split it apart into short lines…because there’s so much mystery in between what we can say, and poetry allows for that. Anyway, thank you again for your presence and words, beautiful one.
I love this so much!
Especially this:
“sometimes shocking each other with our
sudden mouthfuls and
water streaming from corners,”
It made me laugh out loud.
Thank you for sharing yourself, Ashley!
It makes me so happy to hear this made you laugh out loud! Thank you for being here and for sharing, Abbey.
Ashley–oh! A metaphor for the married life indeed.
I’ve seen pelicans do just that along the California coast and WA, too….
You captured their look beautifully and the way they “make their bodies arrow slim,”
Please write more…..
What a wonderful encouragement. I think I just might. :-) Aren’t those pelicans something to behold? Thank you again for your presence, Jody. You bless me.
Happy Anniversary!
love this poem of love and pelicans and diving in for the catch…
you two…oh, such a gift!
Thank you, friend! And, as you know, that diving in is not always pretty, but it is SO good. Love you dearly.