The massive gray whale lingered
In a moment of suspended animation as
She is ascending from the ocean floor up
To exchange a drag of air
The vast navy blue depths hold her
Weightlessly
Effortlessly
To her delight
Her breath is safeguarded inside but
She won’t exhaust her reserve of energy
She meanders along on an unhurried current
Just to extend the length of her stay
Down to the bottom or up towards the air
She’s sovereign of this tranquil abyss of between but Each time she breaches the surface to fill up her lungs Awaiting seafaring spectators laugh and scream
At her
So she retreats to the deep and silent wet void Sedated by the calm and slow
She drifts obscured in the navy blue water
Always holding her breath as she goes
She is smothered and breathless but
She is not scared
She is engulfed in darkness but
She does not peer
She is gray
And
The water is blue
And
She is the only one here.
Liz Nelson is in full time law enforcement. She and her husband live on a small farm and raise cows, goats, turkeys, chickens, and guineas. They donate the butchered animals to the local soup kitchen. They have the joy of sharing life with their two witty, barefoot, somewhat feral little boys, 7 and 5. They all love ice cream, road trips, hiking, camping, and dancing to jam bands. Believing she is called to feed the homeless and needy she dreams of starting up a food truck to serve dinners, most likely spaghetti or quesadillas. This year she feels blessed to be recognizing the astounding lengths to which God has gone in order to make her feel His love and understand her purpose. Looking back at her heartbreak and suffering she sees how every step, even the painful and seemingly unimportant ones, were a deliberate part of His plan. She is exactly where she is supposed to be.
Liz, I loved this. I’m thinking of the whale as us humans as we navigate what is happening in our environments during this uncertain time. The whale had serenity as long as it had air and was in the stillness beneath. When the spectators laugh and scream she retreats (news media) – to the familiar deep where she is ” Sedated by the calm and slow.” I was especially drawn to the last lines of the poem – .
“She is smothered and breathless but
She is not scared
She is engulfed in darkness but
She does not peer
She is gray
And
The water is blue
And
She is the only one here. ”
Lovely. Keep writing!
I’d also like to say, that whoever finds the pictures to go with the submitted writings, they do a GREAT job!
I agree! I almost scrolled by but the whale grabbed my attention.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you 🙂
Sometimes the format of my poems gets a little scrambled when printed onto the website.