"Moments in Seashells" by Andrea Damic

 Inspired by the painting Beklemek (meaning: to wait), by Müfide Kadri (Turkey), 1890-1912

we feel it on our skin / the silvery powder beneath our bare feet / we sit across a tiny secluded strip of beach, further afield from prying eyes / the tall coniferous canopy offering much-needed shade / it’s like walking on silky blankets of spongy moss / the rock formation protruding through the iridescent dunes of sand / we breathe the poignant air enriched with the smell of salt as the tide kisses the shore / observing the rollers of aquamarine showing off their force / enjoying the quiet in our favourite sequestered nook / Remember when I first caught glimpses of you!? / all kitted out in a SCUBA gear unit / emerging from the depths of this Neptunian world you admire so much / our eyes briefly met and you smiled / the mystical smile of contentment with life / you taught me to love the sea / the terrifying power of it / even when it took you away from me / and how do I not / it’s where I feel closest to you / Nautilus you bequeathed to me, ohh… the beautiful pearly shell you found half buried in this sheltered alcove I call by your name now / it helps me on the days like these / on the days when memories of you are too overwhelming to bear / when sounds of the ocean grow too familiar to tolerate / the weight of their reign too heavy to carry / when saline air burns cilia at the back of my nose… and once silky sand grains wedge themselves in the creases of my skin / an aide-mémoire to the love once lived / when all my senses scream for you / I put Nautilus up to my ear and the world gets quiet… shhh…. just the gentle hum of your breath caressing my soul / and I feel at peace / if only for a minuscule moment in time

Andrea Damic, born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, lives and works in Sydney, Australia. She’s an amateur photographer and author of prose and poetry. She writes at night when everyone is asleep; when she lacks words to express herself, she uses photography to speak for her. Her literary art appears or is forthcoming in Roi Fainéant Press, The Ekphrastic Review, Lothlorien Poetry Journal, Sky Island Journal, The Dribble Drabble Review, Five on the Fifth, and elsewhere. She spends many an hour fiddling around with her website damicandrea.wordpress.com. You can also find her on X @DamicAndrea, Instagram @damicandrea and FB @AndreaDamic