Abalone Song
Abalone Song
The ocean tossed an empty shell,
A swirled coil of pearly emptiness
glowing softly on the shifting sand.
What creatures lived and loved--secured deep
inside the silky walls of abalone?
What torrent tore the creature's heart
and ripped it from its shell to die
alone?
Or did it simply crawl away
Unseen, abandoned.
Does it live somewhere else
Without a home?
The ocean left a hollow song,
A sadness rolling soft and low
For those who choose to hear.
I hold the shell against my ear
And feel the somber tone--a moan
that fills the emptied abalone--
Not a cry of creature--moved on, outgrown--
But empty echos carried on the sea,
Anguished groans of souls whose hearts
have been disowned.
I hear the broken tears of one I know
Who night by night must weep alone.
I hold his hungry spirit in the empty shell
And wish it were his hand I held.
I struggle to caress his heart with words
Knowing that the meager offering of my pen
Will never fill the empty chamber;
Perhaps a lighter note will soften
The somber tones of the Abalone
A note that says you have a friend
a quiet one with a willing pen
Who understands and cares.
Copyright © Karen Ruff | Year Posted 2014
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