THE GREY SADNESS
OF MY HEART
IS THERE
IN THE MOSSY SIDES
OF THE POOL
WHAT WAS A CLEAR
SMILING PLACE
FULL OF TURNING
CHANGING LIGHTS
HAS BECOME
A DARK CIRCLE
OF STONE
ENCLOSED
IN LIMITATIONS SET
BY THE VERY NEED
FOR SURVIVAL.
THE FISH TOO
ARE THERE
BRIGHT, GOLDEN
COLOURS
SWIMMING
ROUND
ROUND
LIKE MY THOUGHTS
THEY TOO
SEPARATED
BY THEIR UNIQUENESS
MAKING UP
A SINGLE
FLUID FORM
OF COLOUR
MOVING
AS DO MY THOUGHTS.
BUT SEE!
BETWEEN THEM
AND ME
A NEW LIGHT
TAKES FORM
A CURTAIN OF BLUE
FALLS SILENTLY
ACROSS THE SURFACE
AND STITCHED
IN WOVEN WHITE
AND GREEN
THE TALL BAMBOOS
BENDING
MAY BE SEEN
PROMISING
NEW HEIGHTS
A NEW BEGINNING.
•••
Sandra Rouja is a Bermudian writer whose work is drawn from her love of the natural world and family history. Her short stories, articles, and contemplative nature prose have been used in local schools, and American universities. A recently published third book, I Sing of the Sea/Canto do Mar is printed in English and Portuguese.
tongues of the ocean 