I
am
a creature
who
dwells
in
the
trench
Mariana
I
do
not
breathe
as
you
I
have
no
ears,
tears,
or
fears
I
do
not
love,
nor
hate
no serpent
tempted
my
kin  
I
came
before
sin
I
need
no
salvation

Sweet sounds of waves softly lap
On flecks of sun dipped copper sands
With gentleness the water swirls
In a kiss of frothy love on land

Splash of oars on a cobalt sea
While songs of sailors wane and fade
Aboard the ships of destiny
A cruise on an ocean's serenade

The sea gull swoops, oh hear the cries
Flap of wings fluttering the dock
Ferries roll on routes of spice
Midst the clap of waves on rocks

Crests of water heave and ebb
Touched by scales of coral scents
Whispers born in the wind
Sing of pirates, silk legends

In murmurs 'twixt rippling waves
Dreams float 'neath a setting sun
Whisked like boats in a river's flow
That sail across to meet oceans

Love notes of romance in the waters
Rhythm at feet, soaking wet
Dancing waves stir the heart
In a melody from the ocean's breath

In cadence pleasant when tis dark
On a night when moon and stars are laid
When the sky shines with silver light  
The breeze plays music of mermaids  

Though now no storm, 'tis serene
Soon the winds will ravage, rave
On this quilt of aquamarine
In a cacophony of thunderous rage

But for now, 'tis the conch, the shell
That sings those songs of the sea
I close my eyes and drift away
Swept by its magic and mysteries

I hold your life inside my own
as you hold me
in your sea of seeds and waving reeds
Beach grass on breast of sand

Ripples of wind
Across my dune
drifts...
your hand

Tracing the mark of a high tide
with my wanderings
Will I be the last?
to recall its highest reach upon the land?
I note the smell of dead and ebb
Would change it all on my return
if it were up to me

And once I started running out
“Wait! O, Wait!”

Black breaks
The sand bars
between the tide pool’s
red whispers of you

I now believe
gulls turn time in their wings

Beach Glass

Wrap your hand around
beach glass in your pocket
seafaring meteorite washed
up from another galaxy
cool lozenge squeezed
by degrees from deep
within the shoulder of a wave
eased glistening onto sand
glint of sunlight driving
a splinter through your eye  
the hollow of your palm
exquisitely matched
sculpted seed ordained
sea vast on your tongue
in holy communion
body and the blood bottled
in blown green glass
a sign cast up
from the belly of a whale
or nothing more
than a world weary
vagabond drawn
to this lightning kissed beach
fused skeletons of sand
writhe in recognition.

"There in the midst of it so alive and alone
Words support like bone..."  Peter Gabriel's  "Mercy Street"

Orion abandons the sky
dropping his club
casting his belt toward the horizon
Just once, for a moment, he glanced away
from exalted ****
his vanquished prey

He’d seen the picture—
A girl of sixteen
lying awake—muses in her head
eyes shut, arms thrown back
behind pillow
Tee shirt stretch across lean chest
Hips mingle with blankets
She is scattered there
among the minions of her hair
behind her mouth of unkissed words
____

McCaffery's Coffee is open late
He’s seen the picture
Muses in his head
His arm almost around her
Hers on his shoulder
Small—feather-light fingers
lift the hair of his neck
Reaching around her
his hand searches and slides
along her silk-draped hind
...and the view he has is amazing!
___

Music— and waves pounding and lapping
at the life he fears....

Little boat stranded in gray mists
till a thousand tiny birds alight
in a peppering and fluttering
stir of time
in greens of brine
as the sun pries through….
___

McCaffery’s is ready to close
but the owner, knowing
douses the overheads and turns away
leaving candlelight to crouch and duck
and blink in circles

How long and free we
are allowed to gaze....
so full of wind and riffling water
Stars above and stars below
blooming on the floral silk of night
Vespered lilacs exhale
Votives of warmth
beneath his hand
Silk sweating—
familial in their rocking

Distant lightning loosens eternity

This sea is non-believing, filaments unhearing. So, magic in hand, i become tremors in the waves, rust in the walls.

Doll snatcher, let me down.