drifting in this cosmic womb of rain
to you, this harbour beneath the shore
my mind resigning its weight, a bare jewel afloat,
to kelp fields, dense and fragments dark,
guiding in this underwater dance floor
traversing through your canopies wild
seasons unfold before my eyes
gardens spring blooms from a winter’s release
while the sequoias of the sea lend me their lean, serenely keen to the sun drenched skies
cerulean paves these streets of peace
as buckets of wings residing beneath the sails of tide
to antiquities void of a pirate’s lore
filling my lungs along this cathartic ride
straying further and further from the salty fits that marry my skin ashore
i fall deeper and deeper into this estuary
where a love evolves, where my heart explores
slipping into frocks left behind of mermaids best
the ballroom awaits as i untether my weathered steps
to which it replies, please, be my guest
swimming anext urchins as they needfully feed
watching otters safely sleep between the holdfast trees
i am but a visitor but a resident akin
to this underwater sanctuary that wishes me au revoir
after welcoming me with ease
This piece was inspired from watching the documentary, My Octopus Teacher featuring the kelp forests of South Africa. Filmmaker and photographer, Craig Foster begins a year long journey studying and ultimately befriending an octopus living within the kelp forest. It is beautiful and heartfelt as well as an educational piece that I would recommend giving a watch.
In writing this I imagined and truly listened to the testimony of Foster of just how magical skin diving and traversing through this underwater garden becomes to the soul. Daily stresses seem to become weightless, as trees, anchored and wise, become our guides.
The images shared within this piece are that of Foster captured during his journey within the forests in South Africa.
Kelp forests, these beautiful underwater oasis’s, are endangered, mostly so by threats from fisheries, marine pollution, invasive species and climate change. If you’d like to learn more about the ambassadors of the sea check out Sea Change Project. The group, of which Foster is a member of, is striving to educate and protect the ecosystem that is a sanctuary and home to many marine animals and wildlife.
Thank you for reading.
Harbour-Sohn
just breathe
