
Poem, 11 November 2019, medhumchat.com:
Starfish by Mary Oliver
In the sea rocks,
in the stone pockets
under the tide’s lip,
in water dense as blindness
they slid
like sponges,
like too many thumbs.
I knew this, and what I wanted
was to draw my hands back
from the water – what I wanted
was to be willing
to be afraid.
But I stayed there,
I crouched on the stone wall
while the sea poured its harsh song
through the sluices,
while I waited for the gritty lightning
of their touch, while I stared
down through the tide’s leaving
where sometimes I could see them –
their stubborn flesh
lounging on my knuckles.
What good does it do
to lie all day in the sun
loving what is easy?
It never grew easy,
but at last I grew peaceful:
all summer
my fear diminished
as they bloomed through the water
like flowers, like flecks
of an uncertain dream,
while I lay on the rocks, reaching
into the darkness, learning
little by little to love
our only world.
The sea star, commonly known as the starfish, radiates its arms around its central opening, which is its mouth. In shallow marine reef water, it soaks up the rays of the sun. It has five eyes, five (or more) appendages – stubby or long and thin. It is the star of the sea.
ADVICE: It may be a time for you to open yourself to infinite possibilities – beyond your wildest imagination. Open your heart and eyes to what the world has for you. Miraculous potential is shining on you now. Stretch yourself beyond the familiar. Learn something new, go somewhere new, eat something new, talk to someone new. The world is open to you. Reach out.
“When whales want to make a wish, they wish upon a starfish.” – Anthony T. Hincks
Sea Star:
Starfish
Marine Invertebrate
Echinoderm
Asteroidea class
Usually 5 ‘arms’
It has 5 eyes
Seabed
All the world’s oceans
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
REFERENCES: A combination of the following Oracle cards were used (with a dash of my own lifelong learning).
Archangel Animal Oracle Cards by Diana Cooper
L’Oracle du Peuple Animal by Arnaud Riou
Messages From Your Animal Spirit Guides by Steven Farmer
The Druid Animal Oracle Deck by Philip & Stephanie Carr-Gomm
The Spirit Animal Oracle by Colette Baron-Reid
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
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