Shell Work

J. Marshall Jenkins

From dark clouds built high on the horizon
and breakers marching just below it at low tide,
shells inevitably call your gaze down and near
between crab holes and a jellyfish beached
amid foam. The moon allows brief visits
here. Underfoot, shell work goes unnoticed.
They guard tiny creatures from large ones.
They roll with the tide yet steady the sand.
Breaking down into more sand, they nourish
and cleanse water, earth, and air, keep life there.
At first glance, the shell looks like a stained white
old broken heart, but look closer and see the ribs,
the swirling, subtle hues, and hear the sea
when you press it to your ear. Like all works
of art, shells awaken and sustain you
as you keep walking by the ebb and flow.

Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5).

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Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash