(Poem) The Remembering by Arlene Bailey

I remember you sister Whale

Remember when I had a

tail and fins Sister Dolphin

Remember when we would

swim for hours plunging the

depths and traversing the breath

of the primordial waters

Then I changed

Shedding fins and tail for

Feet and legs,

lungs instead of gills and

I could no longer join you in the

Waters of the Mother

They said I had evolved

That I could now climb trees

and mountains, walk upright and

become the dominant species

over everything else

Oh Sister, how I miss our times in

those emerald green and azure blue

waters, those places of birthing and

She who held those in the leaving

Oh how I wish I could once again swim

the depths splashing and cavorting with

you and the others, protecting each other

Alas, I cannot.  But I tell you,

I am NOT part of their dominant species

I DO NOT think I am the pinnacle of creation

Rather, I think this human body massively

inferior to you my beloved cetaceans

Jump and cavort sweet dolphin family

Spy-hop and BreachSister Whale, then

dive deep and allow me one more view

of your incredible fluke

Perhaps one day humans will return to the

Mother Waters and we shall all dance in the

mist in blissful, sweet harmony

Until then…

I walk on the dry seas with

legs with feet and arms with hands,

but now with the eyes of Savage Woman

as I reclaim my wildness and free spirit

known so well to the children of the waters

Now I tell stories and speak with the voice of

Savage Woman raised in protection of your life

and the primordial waters that birthed us all

Raising my voice, I sing with you those soul-full

melodies of the deep as I feel the water on my skin

and…

Remember…

Remember…

Remember.

_________________________________

The Remembering, Arlene Bailey ©2021

Orca and Dolphin Photos by Bob Talbot

Humpback Photos by Mike Rae

Authors Note:  I wrote this poem for a prompt in a class I participated in a few months ago.  It’s based on my lifetime of love for Cetaceans that began as a child growing up on the Louisiana Gulf of Mexico coast watching Porpoises and Dolphins… a love that grew even deeper when I lived in the Pacific Northwest and spent hours kayaking with orcas in Robson Bight, BC and off of Orcas Island in the San Juan Islands of Washington state along with watching Humpbacks in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

All images except Dolphins taken in Robson Bight Ecological Preserve in Johnstone Straight, BC.

(Meet Mago Contributor) Arlene Bailey


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