Striding the shore, black-haired Poseidon,
the Master of Earthquake, sees her, swimming,
far out, laughing, her hair entangling
the rocks and the waves in a blue net
rippling. She is blue as the sea,
her eyes are shining, she is merry, playful,
she swims off, diving to deeper water,
with white foam falling, he has halted, staring.
Poseidon begins to stride out boldly
into the waves, getting his knees wet,
calling at each step, splashing, puzzled.
He thinks he sees her, he hears her laughter
and rushes forward a great splash rising
he catches a wave, when he comes up spluttering
he has lost the shore, but a ripple guides him
and forward he goes, to a conch shell's booming
that rings in his ears as her arms surround him
they sink in deep water, again he rises
cresting the wave, she dissolves before him
laughing again. He feels her touch him
turn in his hand to a dolphin leaping.
He swims on, thundering, buffeting onward
breaking the water to seek her deeper.
Blue hair at a distance, floating on water
he sees it and swims on carefully, slowly
making no noises, he reaches gently
to capture a net full of weed, retreating
he hears once again her laughter rippling
sees a blue hand, and he swims on after
pursuing her onward, now diving deeper
to the sea's strange floor, he searches for her
coming to know it. She lures him onward
but flees him ever, the swifter swimmer,
or changing to dolphin, or fish or water
leaving him baffled, and far behind her.
Through the winter storms when the waves
are washing on stony shores, through
the heat of summer when men cross water;
in deeps and shallows, in wave and under
ever and onward he sought, pursuing,
and she fled, laughing; he never caught her.
Till she stopped, and waited,
her blue skin glowing
more than the wine-dark water flowing
She waited, he waited, her arms were open
he knew she would flee if he moved to take her
he suddenly caught at the tide, embracing,
clutching it tight, and she came toward him
her body now was the sea between them
they moved together to sweet salt rhythm
rising and falling, and cresting higher
the top of the wave, till they crashed back, falling
into the sea's pulse, a tide-pool's border
safe out of storm and they laughed together.
Blue-haired Poseidon, who thought to tame her
Master of Ocean, who cannot claim her
Protect our boats, who do not name her.
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Arthur
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