"Destined Minds"

SHELL SONG

the hard largely calcareous covering of a mollusc
a place the living call home

crystaline forms of delicate ornate detail
wash up on the sandy shores

fragmented from its travels from beneath
the white foamy waves

You once slowly meandered and decorated
ancient ocean floors

and now found beautiful and perfect in
every way I reach down amongst the seaweed

and bring the shell to my ear and listen
to the song it sings of coral reefs

and ocean beds and the many ships that
passed over head, of whales that

they too shared their song the whispering
of the sea and I continued to listen to

your song and stories of the old man of the sea
of times and tides of rolling waves

of tempest storms and silent graves that
lie beneath the torquoise waters

and now for you loveliness of perfection
I put you in my pocket and take you on

another journey and let your ears be filled
with the wonderment of grandchildrens awe

of you as they too listen to your whisper...

Maree Long
(c) Maree Long 2008

www.freewebs.com/poetrybymareelong