wind beat against his chest,
sandy bullets scouring flesh from his body
salt crusting a white outline of his features,
long lashes framing dulled eyes,
that heard her tears as they’d fallen on the shoreline
felt her cries rush in over the waves,
saw straining wood drum out its creaking rhythm,
as it rung out in synchrony with his beating heart
heavy canvas unfurled to carry her away
he entered the grey alabaster tipped water at a run,
diving under the turbulence both inside and out
deeper he pushed
as the water caressed away all hint of humanity
skin forming almost forgotten pathways faster than his laboured breath,
pain fused him once again into his true self,
a reconnection…
***
further and faster he traveled
shadowing the dark silhouette above
making for open sea
time was immeasurable
in the cold, wet universe he reclaimed,
night took hold,
the moon shimmered silver
its light reflecting between the water’s surface and the becalmed vessel,
halting, hair flung about his face,
it surprised him –
this minute space for pleasure –
to see it again match the colour of the weed
that beckoned relentlessly from the rocks
on the sea bed below,
a reconnection…
***
creatures indiscernible told him of her sorrow,
so heavy it had stilled the sea,
driven the warmth of the sun in to hiding
body taut,
icicles of rage raced from heart to fingertips,
flexing his lower length
a natural precision, control returning,
a reconnection…
***
she tasted him within the salt spray,
singing him to her,
a tune no human ear could determine,
rumbled over her lips
dropped overboard,
a ribbon carrying her longing
for him,
for the water denied her,
she sang on,
a reconnection…
***
spinning,
he whirl-pooled his way up
turning under the hull,
slamming,
down again,
spinning,
slamming,
down,
spin,
slam,
debris,
panic,
bodies,
broken,
her hand warmed his blood,
cooled his rage,
and the weed beckoned them relentlessly
from the sea bed below,
a reconnection…
Wasserman – a male sea-monster; a sort of merman/a mythical sea-monster being part man and thought to destroy ships
***
Wow, great imagery. Never heard of a wasserman before, so informative, too.
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Glad to hear you thought so…
🙂
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What a brilliant tale Jo. I had never heard the word before, but even before I reached the last line, I knew what you were writing about. I really felt the emotions and pain of both, and the love. Thanks!
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Thanks Cap’n – glad it did what it did…
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WoW! What a great write, Jo! This had many good lines in it, but my fav:
“she tasted him within the salt spray / singing him to her,” Well done!
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Thanks Corrine – I had fun writing this one…
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