a nautical fable poem - Hiraeth
Selkie Shangri-La
Loving flows liquid washing over our labyrinth of lifetimes
Shangri-la island sunrise
Mysterious morning manifests
As a seal, she blissfully awakens in the tidal zone
Relaxed rolling over delicious sunlight dazzles
Sparkling white sand
Splashing giggling barefoot babes
Wearing fragrant frangipani leis
Sharing mangoes and lilikoi juice
Calm like a clam
Clear clean sapphire puddles
Teeming with tiny aquatics
Eagerly embracing experiencing this new heavenly feeling of gliding through warm water
Rather than her history of icy cold channels
Cozy seaweed flats
Snug memories of refreshing crisp currents
Dazzling colors of this delightful diverse azure sea
Magical welcome
Whales, dolphins, turtles, fish of all colors
Blue starfish on a rock catches her glance
Starry eyed
She smiles
Soul overflow
Ahh, the maritime loving mortal who could never understand her
Walking the path to their coastal lighthouse abode
Craggy coastal views
Songs of seagulls
Vistas of ospreys
Nautical lanterns, brisk winds, cloudy skies
Storms
Fond memories filled her
Gratitude for friends and neighbors who always tried to help her
Perched above the cliffs played the harp to the foggy shore which attracted creatives
Thalassophile artists and writers among other mellow mortals
Unrevealed therianthropy
Stealth
Slipping into the sea while they were sleeping
Untold frolicking with her seal folk kind
Unexpected invisible teardrop sliding down her face
Sadness of separation
Hiraeth
Tugging
Unresolved wondering
Maybe the artists could have understood me?
Knowing love was all.
Irresistible ocean call.
Though not longing for long
She looked down into a tidepool at all the littles
Spirited eyes of fish and crabs reciprocating adoring greetings
Met by her immeasurable consideration
Eager for her protection and friendship
Cooled by a flood of abundant compassion
Morning and eve
Moons and tides
Earth and swells
Nostalgia and contentment
Underwater rhythms defined her whether toes or tail
Intelligence placed her into perfection
Time to discover this next life aquamarine adventure
Locating her afterworld assigned grotto submerged below the reef
Inside her new digs, she found creative tools
Gifts, like form and fluke
Perhaps manifested from her treasured terrestrial moments; harp, pen, paper, tea
Liquid cobalt dimensions generously cared for her
Yet celestial periwinkle starfish cued
a deeper entangled cerulean dive into her enchanted heart’s abyss
I accepted this theme/challenge with great appreciation to Selma @selmawrites. This story is my interpretation of the mood of Hiraeth*, per this theme, and her story Blanketed in Yore, was my inspiration:
*Regarding this interesting theme from the brilliant folks at LiteraryImpulse.com:
“Hiraeth is a word from the Welsh language that has no exact equivalent in English. It refers to a kind of nostalgia, similar to homesickness, but somewhat more complex. Akin to the German Sehnsucht and the Portuguese Saudade, it evokes the longing for a home you may never be able to return to, and the connection with the loved ones you left behind; or, perhaps, the longing for a place that never existed, the tribe that you haven’t found yet…
You can find various pronunciations on Google, but in my humble opinion, the most authentic one is something like HEER-eye-th with a rolled “r” the “th” barely a whisper.
An invitation to write
If you’re like me and you can’t resist a challenge, or if this mysterious word from verdant Wales stirs something in the depths of your soul, we hope you will respond by sending us your work, poetry or prose, long or short. The window to participate will be from August 10th through September 25th. Our panel, led by Theme Editor Keta Nachi, will be reading all submissions from that period as they come in and select the best entries (we’re thinking 4 poems and 3 prose pieces) to be published in an e-book anthology…”
I’d like to tag Alex, Connie Song, Dr. Roopa, Randy Shingler, SusannahMackinnie &Tej to explore Literary Impulse, enjoy!
Note- This piece is a submission for this ongoing theme-based event as mentioned above. I’d love it if you’d tag me if you choose to write the theme MicheletheTrainer
Spread love and self-care.
