I live inland,
but here in my hand
this simply-shaped shell,
with its comfort of touch
and gentle sea smell,
reminds me of the ocean.
There is much
it reveals to me:
I am filled with the emotion
of its serenity.
This shell held in my palm
makes me think about
the hole and the whole,
within and without.
When I hold it I feel calm.
It is my belief
(and no doubt you will agree)
that sometimes we can be
stranded on a shoal
or wrecked on a reef of grief
and lost at sea.
By waves of hurt we’re battered;
our life is in uproar –
leaves us feeling shattered,
then we’re washed up
on a shore.
In those times of sad stressings,
when I’m feeling unsure,
I grip this little shell
to feel its magic spell.
I pause to count my blessings.
It’s an insignificant token,
but it does remind me,
even though it’s cracked and broken,
of how life on each scale can be:
from the fishes of the sea,
to me.
It’s all about proportion.
Our minds do magnify
contortion and distortion.
And that is why,
with my tiny serenity shell,
it all becomes quite clear:
when you hold your near-and-dear
then all is well.
|