Mermaid Treasures..

Sometimes people wake up to find it raining and begin to cry. We wake up to find it raining, and seek out other opportunities. We wait until shes finally just stopped, and head to the beach. It is thick with the scent of low tide and still too early for many to be out. The clouds hang low on the mountains and the thick treeline dropping down to the water reminds of days on the Alaskan beachsides, small fuzzy dog chasing tossed sticks…

We amble along, filling our pockets with the most colourful rocks, and unbroken shells. Mermaid treasures left by the tides for the land walkers to find. It is peaceful, and a gentle breeze pushes the sea onto the sand. It is absolute low tide and the ground is slick and squishy underfoot. It isnt until we find the round, unbroken shell the size of a fist do we head back up land. I poke at the dirt and flip large rocks over as I go. I find a pile of shells, only to realize it is a colony of crabs none to happy with my poking. They angrily wave their claws at me and scurry away.

We find a wooded path and I am surprised by how far from the sea it feels. It is thick with foliage and smells of tea. I step over dandilions, stretching the length of their stalks across the path, as if they too are craving the sea. Above us, long slender branches reach across, their bark coming away to reveal deep red skin. It is almost like the selkie that sheds its seal skin to stride upon the land on two feet. These trees seem like a snapshot, frozen in time mid action of doffing their tree skin, to return to the sea as something else. 

The return home seems almost hurried as the sun begins to break thru the clouds, chasing the morning mist and fog away. We hear voices seaward, but upon halting and turning, we see only the birds as the voices stop as well. We hear voices again, and again stop to see nothing. As if the very birds themself are speaking, mocking.

We finally reach the car, covered in sweat and muck, suddenly surrounded by civilization. We stow our treasures, then head off, the scent of the sea following us as we go.