Beach Feathers

Walking along the ocean sands

Bright sun rippling in the water

I stop and gaze, closing my eyes so

I can hear Mother Ocean talk to me

Tears fall

I tell my luminous, white

Mother Goose that I no

Longer need her feathery wings

Laced around me all of the time

(Although I may return

For shelter and comfort

Once in awhile)

I am moving on, stepping forward

Taking a leap of faith

Strolling onto the dock

Where the sailboat is moored

I am ready now

For the Divine Mystery

To unfold

The winds to lift and carry me

To an unknown space

Wasn’t ready before now

Don’t know

What will happen

Don’t yet need to know

I squat on top of the sand

Pick up the tiniest of

Shells, then am struck

By the white downy feathers

Stuck in the drying, dying

Kelp which hold so many tiny

Shells and shell crumbles

Walking from one pile of seaweed

To the next, seeing and gently picking up

Small, fragile downy feathers

Imagining the seagulls and

Sandpipers preening themselves

Beaks pulling out feathers

Reaping oil from glands

Small white feathers descending

Wandering further

My hand is full of

Soft, fluffy feathers

No longer intrigued

By shells, sun, or water

I carry my pearly white

Ethereal feathers indoors

To wonder about them

To make my own nest