The Fisherman and the Pearl

The Fisherman and the Pearl

You did not see me, far above, upon the surface,
  But I was there, watching, enjoying the folly of your youth,
Gladdened by the smallness of your frame.
  You did not see the dance and sway to the music
Of your youthful heart or
  The vibrations that glittered the waves.
What pleasure I took in your song,
  The song of innocence, pure and crisp
From the bottom of the ocean floor.

Love cannot linger in idleness,
  The condition of your abode,
Pulsing with life and freshness.
  ‘Twas merely an accident, my child,
That you became dislodged and drifted upward
  With buoyancy, innate and strong.
Your time had not yet come.

I scooped you up in the palm of my hand
  To protect from the blinding ray,
A reflection I so gladly saw.
  Poor little urchin of the sea,
Frail and tender, delicate and rare,
  Only time will complete you, don’t you see?

With a breath of secret, placed into ears yet unmade
  I returned you to your proper place
To be hurled by raging currents but
  Not without a shield of white did I give
Within which for you to grow
  In a darkness that bleaches like the sun.

If today you hear a far away sound
  That seems to have no sound at all,
Fear not.
  For as the sea can be heard long after
The shell is removed from the water,
  So can my whisper be heard, though the secret be yet unknown.

It is I returning to reclaim the seed of childish joy,
  Now fully ripened, and preparing for the harvest.
Be steadfast, then, and wait,
Our union is not complete.