The Starfish and the Sea

I walk along the water's edge

wooed by waves of turquoise sea;

a reddish hue in hard packed sand

captures my curiosity.

As I bend to pick it up

the sea unfurls its misting fist

and disappears this shiny patch.

Presto! A magician’s sleight of hand.

Solemn defeat rights my stance

as the sea swoops under my feet

in swirling wings like Houdini’s cape

to restore the visual deceit.

Here, beneath the changing tide

a five-armed starfish glares;

no heart, no brain, no blood to flow,

no fear of death to come.

Could it be this spiny star

buried in the salty sea,

holds the winning royal flush

for much sought-after longevity?

THE STARFISH AND THE SEA – SYNOPSIS

Walks along the beach during my husband’s struggle with cancer always came with a sense of calm and wonder. It was the starfish that captured my attention. I wanted so much to pick it up and share it with him but realized its existence, having no organs to sustain life, was fully dependent on the sea. I couldn’t help but dream that having him walk along the beach would magically restore his health.