Slice of morning sun
Draws the eye to old soul shells
Each a story
Wrinkled rippled skin
Cracks and holes where life had been
Occupy my mind
Treasures drew me close
Sandy surf held each in place
Now at home with me
Held in pewter plate
Hammered by gone Swedish hands
Another story
And so we tell it
They and we will be known by
What we leave behind
ptc
9 replies on “Old Soul Shells”
This brings to my mind the thought of our bodies being shells as well
and the human stories within.
I love the line:
“Cracks and holes where life had been”
And those last lines are quite moving for me.
Very much enjoyed reading.
take care,
Kerri
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Kerri, I nearly wrote another haiku related to your comment ” our bodies as shells.” Now I’m glad I didn’t. I like that you put the finish on it. I am sitting with my ninety-one-year-old mother diagnosed with subdural hematoma. Interesting how a photograph connects to much more than what is in it. She is certainly not yet “an old soul shell” by any means. While I was publishing on my laptop at her table last night, she was reading a cookbook, looking for her Christmas fruitcake recipe she had written on the inside cover, saying, ” I think I’ll make my fruit cake in the morning.”
Thank you so much for the understanding. Sorry for so many words. You opened my heart.
ptc
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“And so we tell it
They and we will be known by
What we leave behind”
And there you have it…
Ptc,
There is so much to this poem and the exchange that follows it.
My heartfelt prayers are with you and yours.
Back to the lines in the above quote…a mission statement
of the highest ilk. Your poem is a vision that will keep both
poetry and history alive.
Many blessings,
Sarah
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Sarah, your words “a mission statement” corral my heart to focus on some work I am planning for a trip in March to Nicaragua. Would it be appropriate to share a story here, perhaps a slide show? This will be my third trip with focus on beekeeping and herbalism. ptc
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It would be a grand gift to all of us. I’m looking forward to it!
Sarah
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“And so we tell it
They and we will be known by
What we leave behind”
I too was moved by this final statement. We need to be taught this from an early age and often.
Thank you for this reminder and for this lovely piece of writing.
ely
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Ptc,
Was reading on another blog and found an article from which I excerpted the following:
“Exotic and rare shells from the distant beaches along with the local clams and cockles adorn the walls creating sophisticated patterns of color and texture. Lady Catherine personally visited the Waterford Harbour and commissioned the captains of ships to collect shells for her. This project took 261 day to complete”
The URL to article and photos: https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/19693040/posts/1685825370
When and if time allows, I think you would enjoy both the article and the photography.
Read your poem again while I was here… loving it!
Sarah
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Oh, Sarah, thank you for the link. I have been there just now and will go again. The photographs are amazing and so many shells. The story is very interesting, too. ptc
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Dear ptc,
What a moving poem! Thank you for sharing your talents here. I love to read your work.
Jan
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