The Ocean Prose (v2)
a rhyming fairy story written for Joshua
A young woman is trapped in limbo by the Ocean. Once her haven, it has turned to a private hell. The only other life, besides herself, is a flock of gulls which pass over each morning. She yearns to take flight, to fly away with them, yet she is grounded by the fact that she is human.One day, a sea gull comes to visit her. He may be the angelic messenger of coincidence, or maybe even an end to her waiting - if only she can amuse him ...
01.
With jealousy tinging her placid stare, a flock of birds flew by
02.
Suddenly she yearned to be more like the winged ones above the sea
03.
She realized tho that wishes may not hide that which we are not inside
04.
Dry, salty tears reflected in the water’s pass the tide like a slave to an unseen Master
05.
“It seems to me I share my sadness with the sea and the sea it’s sadness reflects back onto me.”
06
The winds all whispering
07.
“The Ocean tells of truth, if only you will listen.”
08..
Morning again the sun revealing the birds above the iridescent muse
09.
All paying dues
10.
In the course of evolution
11.
The sudden silence saying to
12.
Simply stop complaining
13.
“If you want for change to come - stop crying, ask for such politely.”
14.
For if one chooses only to dream then a voyeur left upon the sands will be what destiny commands
15.
Alone. So lonely.
16.
“Simply ask to proceed onward from the shore.”
17.
So she did, she asked for someone to hear
18.
The only ones about were the sea gulls in the sky disappearing around the horizon so high
19.
Except for one
20.
Who flew down to her
21
The once gull, now a swan man
22.
Standing before once calm water, now foamy swirls
23.
Of salt water tears
24.
Turned to sapphires and emeralds
25.
Ah - a throne for him to sit in glass grains as a chair a sign of servitude.
26.
“You tell me a story woman a slave!”
27.
At first so elated, now she wished he’d simply go away
28.
“Tell me a story, passionate lady, do!”
29.
“I’ve none to tell.” she responded, “And I do not want to talk to you.”
30.
Suddenly she was empty.
No desire within.
She did not want to walk
nor talk
nor dance
nor feel passion
no stories were there to tell
she felt only boredom
she wanted to cry
but
she felt nothing
no tears fell she was over emotion
31.
The Ocean
was frozen now
all in stopped time
32.
“If you tell me a story,” He offered, “I’ll tell you how to fly.
33.
“Why is it to live in freedom, one must endure a state of slavery?”
34.
The Swan man now a King would not listen to questions.
He wanted to hear a story, he was so tired of the sound of the other birds breathing.
When they were not breathing, they were eating.
He wanted the creature thing different from him,to tell him a story, even if he did not understand it’s meaning.
35.
“How am I to proceed when I must be an equal to humility?” She felt that his request was a demand from the Gods. She was tired of everything, and everyone, and their wants.
36.
The Tide ran forth in defiance of the freeze.
“Will you stop asking questions, simply he do as he pleases!”
37.
“I’ve no tales to tell.” She seethed
38.
When in this state she is rather unattractive.
No expression on her face.
You just want to slap her.
Penetrate her
Soul
tho you may catch cold
maybe just aggravate her
until she acts different
when she least expects it
try to get her laughing
39.
The water licked her toes with an icy attempt at passion
but as before recoiled
too cold was her reaction
40.
The Swan King stepped from his throne of shiny stones
Touching the sand
Throwing some over his left shoulder and into the air
Bowing before her
Laughing with frustration:
41.
“May I indulge you
May I court you
Tho you know
I am a sea gull
and you
are
a
vulture!”
42.
He laughed and he flapped
a wing
now a breeze
lifting her veils
lifting the seas
43.
“Ah - so romantic
A lady in waiting.
And what did you wait for
Lady, my friend,
If you know not, then a hand I shall lend!”
44.
The breeze now a wind like a gale off of the Sea
The throne of sapphires and emeralds now the colors which surround
black feathers and beak.
45.
The Swan King gone like a nostalgic memory
in the summer air
a sea gull flying fast to catch up to a flock,
46.
while an empty beach seems so barren, and uninviting;
a bit cold from the air which comes over the waters and returns from the mountains
with secrets from the enlightened;
47.
Waiting to be warmed by the light like the feeling of love.
48.
Guarded by a vulture sitting in a tree hidden high above
49.
Who has sapphires and emeralds waiting in the glass grains,
50.
waiting for the day when the Swan king will visit once again.
Finis
original verse / prose by melanie
written between point reyes & pacifica, california
new moon 1994