Ocean Freedom – a haibun
The great expanse of water was captivating. It stretched on and on until it melded with the sky in a dark blue line far, far away. To the young girl, the light blue water that rose and fell, transforming into little waves topped with white curls as it neared the shore, looked welcoming and friendly. She had been warned that the water was not placid, it was like a living creature that had moods. There were strong back currents that could wash you right out to sea where you would drown. Sometimes, the happy wavelets turned into huge, towering water mountains that crashed onto the beach in a frenzy of swirling anger.
Despite the warnings, the ocean fascinated her. She watched it for hours, imagining that she was a mermaid swimming beneath its everchanging surface. So much space! So much freedom!
Endless blue expanse
Delights when in a calm mood
Symbol of freedom
Lillian’s d’Verse prompt is By the Beautiful Sea and Esther Chilton’s writing prompt is space. I have worked both prompts in my haibun.
You can join in the d’Verse prompt here: https://dversepoets.com/2024/09/10/by-the-beautiful-sea/
You can read Lillian’s beautiful contribution here: https://lillianthehomepoet.com/2024/09/10/from-our-provincetown-deck/
You can join in Esther Chilton’s writing prompt here: https://estherchilton.co.uk/2024/09/11/writing-prompts-31/
Thursday Doors
This week, I’m sharing a few more photographs from my recent weekend away at Jaci’s Tree Lodge in Madikwe Game Reserve.
You can join in Thursday Doors here: https://nofacilities.com/2024/09/12/ohio-river-blvd/
The door led to a long tunnel to the underground hide. It has a lovely view of the lake. What did we see in that creepy, underground space?
As this post is all water themed, I decided to share an extract from my short story, The Behemoth’s Rage.
May 1488
The sun breached the horizon, spilling brilliant light across the sky and ocean. The water, an expanse of silver satin encrusted with clusters of glittering diamonds, paid homage, gracefully rising and dropping into curtseys.
The light unveiled the dark grey behemoth, seated on the shore. It illuminated her edges, turning them into a froth of lighter grey lace. Shards of brilliance splashed across her sombre mourning dress. The aging face of the immobile matriarch disappeared into thick golden edged clouds, leaving a headless hulk.
The ships inched closer, hugging the greenish brown coastline.
“It’s a titan,” Bartholomew muttered under his breath. “A female titan.”
As the bright disk moved higher into the pale blue sky, the beauty leached from the bulky figure, leaving it in gloomy shadow.
From the deck of the first ship, Bartholomew watched the glistening water. Inky shadows moved beneath its shining face. He gazed into the depths, face wrinkled with perplexity, as the dark forms slipped through the water. Hundreds of them. Great fish with swirling hair and female bosoms.
“What are they?” he asked the grizzled man standing next to him. António was also staring at the frenzied mass beneath the calm veneer.
“I’ve no idea,” António whispered. “I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
The water in front of the ships exploded.
WWWWAAAAAAHHHHHH!
One of the men let out a fearful wail.
Creatures, half fish, half women, shot into the air, shards of light reflecting off their gleaming skin and powerful tails. They looped elegantly and disappeared back beneath the waves.
The water seethed and frothed.
A sharp gale sprang up, expelling the gentle zephyr that had accompanied the dawn. It whistled, grasping at the boiling sea, and threw great handfuls into the air. Stinging spray whipped across the decks, slashing the men.
“Holy God,” whispered Bartholomew, “Holy, Holy God.”
The ocean foamed, swirling ferociously. Beyond the jagged rocks and white sand of the shoreline, the monster watched her children perform with vicious glee.
Female heads bobbed on the churning surface, skin pale and perfect, long hair streaming with salt water.
“Aren’t they beautiful?” António gasped.
Bartholomew, gazing at the spectacle in growing horror, made no reply. The beauty of the creatures made his nerves tingle with anticipation, but they also repulsed him. Their overt sexuality was overwhelmingly desirable, but simultaneously bitterly objectionable.
The Behemoth’s Rage is included in Midnight Roost, compiled and edited by Kaye Lynne Booth. It’s available on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Roost-Kaye-Lynne-Booth-ebook/dp/B0CL6FPLVJ
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