A Sonnet for Caroline

A Sonnet for Caroline

My sweet sister, sometimes you wonder how I know you and I can only tell you this.

We have sailed together in the Seas of Crete on a fishing boat too small to imagine.

We were poor and our sails were torn and tattered. Bobbing around in the churning waves, you always took us to Neptune's locker of fish.

This day was a day of bounty. The last eve out to sea was our day of rest from the net.

We held each other and you showed me the wonder of the Lunar Eclipse.

Something about you, that night of nights, made me think of you as a woman seeing something for the first time. This could not be true, as every night you blessed the day and our health and you spoke this gratitude to La Luna.

But you smiled like a child seeing fireworks and pointed it out to me as the dark clouds sauntered by, attempting to block your view. My all seeing woman you saw every clear moment of the moon peeking from cloud.

Today, my dearest lover, we caught a plethora of fish for the village. You have put us in a magic pond of Neptune's bounty. That day we caught fish of rainbows, albino fish with red eyes from the depths where the sea is thick with cold. We caught fish, brilliant fish, fish that knew and whispered to us the secrets of the millennium. Some fish sang to us, a captivating song, so enchanting that we knew it understood the sacrifice of their lives for our village and our families.

My love, that day you looked like a statue with a glowing color to your skin. Your hair was curly from the wind, your lips red from the breeze and the pressing of mine on yours. Your eyes were intense and staring at me as if it was also the first time you saw me. My Angel of Strength and guidance, you arms with sinewy with ropy muscles as and I pulled the nets in with every delicacy of the sea. I turned to the bow and tears flowed for a moment. My love you asked me, Michael, are you troubled, and I said no, my love, just the salt in the sea.

My true feelings were so hard to put into words but I was overwhelmed that you were my twin and my lover and that I woke to your beauty and smile every morning. We both were always amazed as we looked at each other in the early light, amazed at our good fortune. Although poor we had everything.

As we neared the harbor of the village, our families had gathered as if they knew that we had a bounty to share. They helped us unload the shaky vessel that you had no fear to sail. They had lovely side dishes as hummus, tabouli and eggplant, all of which we happily grew.

We wondered how they knew of our fortune. Perhaps a chatty gull had spoken of your find of fish enough for the whole village. We grilled the fish over ancient wood and all sat to feast and feast we did. We drank fiery Ouzo and saluted our luck and your guidance as you were the Village Queen of the Sea. I have never been so proud of you. We danced and danced as our small band of Gypsies played and sang songs that became old songs that they sing even now of this day of the Fish. Then, my love, the villagers left and we stayed on the beach and stared at the moon and the stars that flamed out millions of years ago.

You turned to me and gave me more of your mouth, your blessed mouth, and pulled yourself to me. We made a different kind of love that dark night. It was of reverence and divinity and more then once I was drawn to tears, my heart about to burst. And my love you wonder how I know you.

I have pulled sun-drenched babies from your Mound of Venus and drew symbols on them with henna to protect them from fear, and you drew fish beneath the eyes so that they may always see where the sea and the swarms of fish are.

You wonder how I know you.

My garden, I have healed your heart as your brother when thoughtless lovers had slashed your heart to ribbons and your eyes cried salty rubies of pigeon blood. I held you until your heart became soft and pliant and lost its feeling of stone.

And you, my love, have pulled me from the precipice where faith was lost, and for that I will always give you any part of me you desire and all of my heart always. But if you wonder how we are so much the same, or how I know you, it is that I am a part of the very air you breathe.

My heart to yours,

Michaelito