I AM IN THE DEEP AS DEEP CAN BE, IT'S NOT THE FIRST TIME, THIS TIME IN THE SEA

Kristen Lenea Ryberg Part II Mermaid Series, A Fairytale Sestina

In the dream, I am deeper than any anchor can sound, adrift in indigo holding my sword.
Awake, my freckled hands dig through mud for the oyster I once was, who embryo’d 3 pearls.
My shore is seldom slaked; I drink each wave including the foam.
On the beach, a man instructs, lay in the sea, listen for whales.
Outside the beach house, in the wild dune, waits a Kundalini snake.
Near the back-door I wash my collection of bones. 
                                             ~
Inside, on the Altar table I place a found compass bone.
Tonight my dream will not contain swallowed swords.
Tonight the base of my spine coils a black snake.
Tonight under my tongue, I nurture a pearl.
Tonight in sonar, I hear whale.
Tonight by moon, Mother Turtle labors alone through sea foam.
                                               ~
In the beach town at 1 a.m., a dance floor is covered in foam.
In bed someone watches a show of detectives looking for bones.
In the show, a clairvoyant hears the bones whaling.
In a basement an unsocialized male makes swords.
In the morning his mother wears lipstick and pearls.
In the morning his neighbor sings to Blue Shiva, who holds a snake.
                                                  ~
This morning my screen flashes ads for face-cream; a woman sheds her wrinkled skin like snake.
On my chai floats a heart of bubbling foam.
Today, I paint my ceilings Mother of Pearl.
I like my home the color of bone.
On the wall, I hang my lover’s arrowheads, one shaped as a sword.
I rest, pull a council of cards, the first is Whale.
                                                     ~
Animal Medicine #41 WHALE reads: sounds to balance our emotional and physical body come from Whale.
Card #6: things experienced as poison can be ingested and integrated given the proper 
state of mind as SNAKE.
Next, a Tarot card for severing: to sweep away fragments of falsehood 
until the whole is finally realized through SWORDS.
This afternoon, I soak in a potion of Boneset, stirred into a homemade pond of foam.
On the counter is a rattle-bowl of Runes. Destiny: take the hand I’m dealt,
make a drum-stick from bone. 
This evening the Medicine Wheel points to Child’s Pose; I curl to the floor as if holding a pearl.  
                                                      ~

Wikipedia-iridescence: phenomenon of certain surfaces appearing to change color as the angle of illumination changes as in pearl.
Google-www.fisheries.noah.gov: Meet the Mothers and Calves of the 2023 Birthing Season of Endangered Right Whales.
July 2011: Dad wanted a Viking Burial, to be pushed to sea in a flaming wooden skiff, his only remains are fragments of bone. 
July 2011: St Joseph’s State Park, Apalachicola Fl. I wade into the Gulf wearing Dad’s multipocketed Pro-Bass yellow fishing shirt, waves hit my breastbone, his ashes curve like snake.
July 2011: Pieces of him ride a bubble-popping home of froth and foam. 
I sought to not carry the steel of his sword.

                                                      ~
Today luminescence mirrored in sword is swallowed as pearls. 
Today foam signals get clean before translating voice of Right Whales.
Today 6 snakes trace a trail home from the Oracle Bones.