nine and twenty abalone

 

the Pacific is angry after storms,

spits its vehemence upon a beach

I scry for transcendental relevance

 

fool am I to want the reassurance

of a chambered Nautilus…oh, my soul

to find meaning in the glow of sea glass

 

I watch children scavenge tidals for detritus,

pocket sandy bi-valve clams…all life dissolved;

think their skeletons are treasure…none

 

why then…do I nail upon a yard fence

nine and twenty abalone…grayed…barnacled

rainbow radiance diminished…there

 

Bonnie Marshall

Artwork by Ray Ortner