Gift to the Sea

 

 

I walk along the pier, over the marsh grass,
until watery Yemaya, the Sea, is beneath me.
I have brought gifts!
This cowrie shell necklace, bought when I was fourteen,
from a wandering African merchant at the music fair.
"These are sacred cowrie shells!"
she informed me with a smile and a knowing look.
Every beach I've visited since then,
I have soaked the necklace and all the shells
in the waters of the sea,
bringing the necklace home more sacred than before.
Each year some cowrie shells fell away into the sea.
And on this day I return them all to Her.
With a song and a blessing, I toss the necklace
into Her arms, the calm and silvery waters.
"For You!" I cry to Yemaya.
I pour Her some blackstrap molasses, Her favorite,
sweet as the Mother of All Life.
The black cloud swirls and vanishes into the waves.
As I gaze entranced over the rail,
a grey fin appears,
rising and falling right under my gaze,
the love of a dolphin infusing my presence.
A blessing and a thank you from Our Sister in the sea. 

Annelinde Metzner

May 6, 2022

Hunting Island, SC