The oyster had lain on the sea bed

for some time, pleasantly ageing

beyond care of raggedy shell.

Suddenly her peace was broken as

a net dredged the ballast and rocks

amidst which she had sheltered. 

The noise was horrendous as

she was torn from her comfort zone,

scooped up with lobsters and sea urchins,

only to be raised higher and higher

up towards the bright and shining light.

She had never left the sea bed before,

this was not so much exciting as scaring

and she closed up her shell in protective

defiance of whatever was to be her future.

Tumbling into the ships hold ~ the oyster

heard sounds so new to her, then they started

the engine and she felt some movement of the

watery hold which enclosed her and the others.

She must have fallen asleep, for the next sound

was that of a scraping kind which was knew to her.

In a flash....the blade had opened her shell and prised

the fully grown pearl from her bosum, as it did so

it sliced through her muscle and she slid sideways

and the hand raised her shell to it's owner's mouth,

she felt little of her sad demise on this fine new day. 

It was fine indeed for the fisherman, who held her

beautifully translucent bead of many years of nurturing

and he took it to the town's Jeweller, who offered

a princely sum in exchange, as he had a customer

who had commissioned a ring which had to be of

lustrious and exquisite origin and like no other. So

this miraculously timed find of a black pearl would

forever be known as The Jewel of The Sea and

coveted by all who understood what rebirth was

on display ~ at such high cost ~ one fine day.

 

 

 

(c) ZYDHA HART Jan 1st 2008 (yeeaahh....my first write of this new year)