Ammonoidea (Fossilized Shells)
Ammonoidea (Fossilized Shells)
I like to think
that their dendritic prints,
algal caresses beached
in bleached stone, mean
that I will know the nuzzle
of your whisked-white chin long
into the next paradigm;
though even now I’m shaped
by the whorl of your chest
where time’s sand stills
its hands
and I hear in your warmth
the sea.
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A very belated offering for Mama Zen’s “Words Count” prompt on With Real Toads to write a poem on fossil in less than sixty words. I’m sorry to have been quite absent lately, and probably will not be able to post much in the next couple of weeks, due to work and family busy-ness. Miss you all!
PS – photo from Mama Zen–all rights reserved to her.
PPS–I am hoping also to link to dVerse Poets OLN, hosted by the wonderful Victoria.
Explore posts in the same categories: poetryTags: Ammonoidea (Fossilized Shells), http://withrealtoads.blogspot.com, manicddaily, stuck in the limestone poem, time's sand stills, time's sands still?, two old fossils' love poem
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ManicDDaily 
July 26, 2014 at 11:45 am
What an eloquent love poem, and how you make us see the organic aspect of what is grown so slowly over time into something unique, with the original ‘creature’ kept indelible. I especially love the passage beginning ‘where time’s sand stills its hands..’ euphonious alliteration and rhyme, but also a personification that pulls the whole metaphor together perfectly. You’ve got me thinking I rather prefer the fossil form of love, so long as it’s like this.
July 26, 2014 at 3:15 pm
Ha. Thanks much. I don’t think I have the enjambment quite right, but there’s little for me to do (in life) but to accept fossil hood.
Thanks again for all your kindness.
K.
July 26, 2014 at 3:58 pm
This is just gorgeous, Karin. You are the queen of metaphor here.Thanks for showing up and I hope the family-busy-ness overtakes the work. It seems to me that you’ve had such an intense year.
July 26, 2014 at 4:10 pm
Thanks so much, Victoria. My job has in fact been very busy over the last year or so. I suppose that is good in these days of hard economic times, but it’s been a bit over the top! Thanks again for your lovely prompt. k.
July 26, 2014 at 4:12 pm
I’m on board with both the comments above. Great idea and execution.
Steve K.
July 26, 2014 at 4:20 pm
Thanks, Steve–hope you are enjoying the beautiful weather. k.
July 26, 2014 at 4:13 pm
Love the thought of the fossil turning into a love poem.
July 26, 2014 at 4:20 pm
This is a beautiful gem K ~ Love this part best:
though even now I’m shaped
by the whorl of your chest
July 26, 2014 at 4:35 pm
The beachanny in me responds viscerally to this enchanting love poem – such beautiful language, no unnecessary words yet a complete poem in every way!
July 26, 2014 at 5:23 pm
Thank you, Gay! (And thank the beach any in you.) k.
July 26, 2014 at 4:49 pm
Such a fine bit of love on the half-shell here. I would love to think my wife’s image in my mind’s eye will survive into the next paradigm, too, though what could be more sustaining than the tide of her presence here and now. I’m lulled by the ocean presences here, magnificent.
July 26, 2014 at 5:07 pm
Thanks so much, Brendan for your kind comment. K.
On Sat, Jul 26, 2014 at 5:49 PM, ManicDDaily wrote:
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July 26, 2014 at 5:44 pm
What a treat to see something fossilized be imbued with dynamism and life in so few words!
July 26, 2014 at 7:03 pm
Beautiful vision here, effectively expressed with deep resonance – fresh and lovely… With Best Wishes Scott http://www.scotthastie.com
July 26, 2014 at 7:10 pm
I hear your warmth in the sea – beautiful composition Karin.
July 26, 2014 at 7:17 pm
Lovely imagery. Time’s sand definitely stills.
July 26, 2014 at 8:12 pm
This is so captivating….it engages both the mind and the heart and paints a picture of warmth and longing. Excellent! Who knew a fossil could provide such amazing inspiration?
July 26, 2014 at 9:04 pm
Well..i can certainly relate to the whirl of your shell in 6’s and 9’s and all things of golden mean…and of course
your words2!
and the comfort of the patterns of known before..
do bring more comfort in now..for me as patterned one2!:)
July 26, 2014 at 10:28 pm
Sigh upon sigh . . .
July 27, 2014 at 12:48 am
Ha …a love song to a seashell by a marine scientist:)
July 27, 2014 at 5:01 am
Love the lines: ‘I will know the nuzzle / of your whisked-white chin long / into the next paradigm’
July 27, 2014 at 10:20 am
This is just gorgeous, expansive writing. It’s soothing like summer waves crashing. Your use of language is fantastic too.
I really liked
Thanks for sharing this. =)
Mike
July 27, 2014 at 11:03 am
Oh this is exquisite! Just too beautiful… ‘shaped by the whorl of your chest’.. loved this poem, I’ll be rereading it for sure…
July 27, 2014 at 1:06 pm
“where time’s sand stills
its hands
and I hear in your warmth
the sea.”
Just beautiful. How nice it would be to know that a remnant of who we are or who we love could last for a millennia like fossils do.
July 27, 2014 at 1:22 pm
I am really quite taken with the love poem.. (my horse has a few whirls that I love). Such a sexy sweet poem that embraces an “aging” ageless love… FANTASTIC.
July 27, 2014 at 1:57 pm
Love stays in the sands of time. Lovely work with the metaphors.
July 27, 2014 at 3:05 pm
So beautiful!
July 27, 2014 at 7:27 pm
Oh how I love this! The “white-whisked chin long into the next paradigm” – may it be so! And “the whorl of your chest”…just a glorious write.
July 27, 2014 at 7:30 pm
That’s beautiful right there. There’s a lot to love in this poem.
And I’m sorry I’ve not been around here for a while.
July 27, 2014 at 9:37 pm
I can feel the depth of your words..lovely write..
July 28, 2014 at 8:51 am
Ooh, I like where you’re going with this one – in surprising ways… time’s sands stills its hands… alliteration, sussuration, very melodious.
July 28, 2014 at 2:17 pm
Worth the wait, k. Intimate as the fine curls on a shell ~
July 28, 2014 at 9:39 pm
Thank you, M.
July 28, 2014 at 4:26 pm
awww this is lovely…i like the curling into the chest and hearing the sea in them…a very warm write k…
July 28, 2014 at 9:35 pm
Thanks, Brian. K .
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July 28, 2014 at 4:54 pm
excellent — such poetic magic all the way through and truly a joy to recite. loved this!