“Put the shell to you ear,
you will hear the sea”
he said.

So I did.
But I didn’t hear the sea
I heard instead

A crash and an explosion
The sound of star dust in speeding motion

The surge of air
The buckling of land.
The forging of a world under God’s hand.

I heard the foundation of life
The struggle to live
The growing of limbs

The push towards air
The feel of light
A babies first cry.

To be born
To live
To die.

The scream of life emerging from the womb
The quietness of an empty room
The stillness of space

So I dropped the shell and told Da that I hadn’t heard the sea
He looked at me
Quizzical like and said.
“So what did you hear lad”?

“Everything” I said.
Except the sea

“But that’s ok. I don’t need to hear it anyway.
I heard it before I put the shell to my ear.”

I pointed and said.

“The sea is right here
Not in a shell
On some other shore.”

So I took his hand and we walked on some more.

© Dave Kavanagh @ daithiocaomanaigh.com