seaglass

discarded

broken, tossed aside

sharp and hurtful she rides

adrift in an ocean of aquamarine

starfish and seaweeds

rhythms and tides

scoured with sand

buffeted by

the ceaseless shrieking wind

she floats along

between ship and sea strand

ocean and land

hearing the gull’s cry

and the whalesong

dragged through the submarine ridges

the narrow clefts

and rocky ledges

until they have smoothed

and polished and softened

her jagged edges

through a journey of currents

and whirlpools and torrents

she is cast on a shore

immigrant, foreigner, stranger

waiting

seaglass among the flotsam

her brilliance shines

in sonlight reflected

and hands reach to her

once more.

 

copyright Jo Collett 2013