The Salt Witch





wikimedia commons
TIDAL POOLS WITH REFLECTED LIGHT
Sennett, Tomas, Photographer (NARA record: 8464470)
Environmental Protection Agency. (12/02/1970 - )





I am a child of brine and sea water,
a witch born
in the tidal push.

A soft foam gathers at my head,
the crust of salt flaking off the moonskin
of night’s dreaming—

the meeting of sun and moon at tide’s edge
pushing closer
in their wayward time.

Perched upon each wave,
pushing inward,
     a bit of women’s salt,
pulling away each current,
     a bit of man’s silt.

The watch,
a fraction of heat
to move the salt home.



copyright/all rights reserved Audrey Howitt 2013

Comments

  1. the womans salt and mans silt...nice...and the heat in the friction there in the end...birthed on the pull of the tides works really cool as well...the motion the wave give the feel of birth...

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  2. there's a nice heat in this...the pulling and pushing of the tides....women's salt--men's silt....very cool images

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  3. Girl, this is amazing! I savored every word. Those first two stanzas gave me chills:

    "I am a child of brine and sea water, a witch born in the tidal push.

    A soft foam gathers at my head, the crust of salt flaking off the moonskin of night’s dreaming—"

    And then there was the magic in the third. And the fourth and fifth. Whew. My head is spinning from the blend of your salt/silt brew. You are gifted, my dear.

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    1. Thank you Henna Ink--I enjoyed your piece as well this week!!

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  4. The push and the pull...the rhythm of life. This was gorgeous.

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  5. I adore this primal, sensual, connected-to-all-life poem.

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  6. Such movement, restrained and complex.

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  7. Audrey, this is as seductive as waves kissing sand. Wonderful!

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  8. Like the waves, push and pull ~ There is creation - wonderful as the meeting of the sun and the moon ~

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  9. This is magical, Audrey!! I love the same part that Brian mentioned...because lately I've been thinking about male and female energy that resides in us all and what this means.

    Such beautiful writing!

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  10. Great imagery Audrey. I especially love that second stanza. Fantastic writing!

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  11. Did you draw your inspiration from the photo? After reading your poem, (a virtual delicacy from nature's garden, btw) I gazed upon the photo and before my eyes it actually pieced itself together.... Either I'm having a flashback from something really stupid I did in the 70's or this is an amazing poem.... ! Definitely write more like this one...

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  12. This works so well. The images are very compelling and visceral. I like where you're headed in your poetry, becoming very elemental and shaving your words down to a shining, illuminated thing.

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    1. Thanks Charles--I am begining to feel this groove a bit better I think--Thanks!

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  13. Depthful and beautiful writing, Audrey. Love the imagery.

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  14. "a bit of women’s salt,
    pulling away each current,
    a bit of man’s silt."

    Gorgeous, sensual work.

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  15. The ocean is such a beautiful place to imagine such a birth... and to feel at home.

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  16. Gorgeous, Audrey. I feel at one with the ocean to.

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  17. The imagery in this is excellent.

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  18. Wonderful imaginative writing that creates clear imagery. I love your gendered use of salt and silt. Great writing!

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  19. So beautiful.. you did real well and of course the silt and salt imagery stands out. I love it.

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  20. Beautiful as always! You know what this makes me think of? The Salt March that Gandhi did.

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  21. Beautiful! I adore the imagery, a poem of absolute beauty, loved it xox

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  22. Wonderful images of nature's ying and yang, salt and silt, man and woman. This had me thinking of Carl Jung's interpretation of the collective unconscious. Great poetry Audrey.

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  23. oh Audrey, how very beautiful!

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  24. I love the tension in this, and the mystery... Fabulous imagery, I could see it!

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  25. Audrey, your fourth stanza is gorgeous. I love the whole poem.

    Pamela

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  26. I love your poetry on Hubpages, and am delighted to follow your blog!

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  27. Hiya Audrey, my first time here I think - courtesy of the wonderful d'Verse... Love the intensity of this as you conjure the power of 'The Salt Witch' The push and pull, the yin and yang, the male female - on a wave, a tide... Very well realised. With Best Wishes Scott www.scotthastie.com

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  28. Wonderful Audrey and I now look forward to so many more visits.
    Enjoy your day.
    Eddy.

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  29. Really nice Audrey. A walk among dreams. Loved this.

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  30. Wonderful read Audrey, what a beautiful picture.

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  31. Great imagery, Audrey. Beautifully penned.

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  32. Intense and inspired! The imagery is seductive and powerful and I loved every word.

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  33. Oh my goodness, this is brilliant, and is my new favorite of your poems.

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  34. It put me in the mind of giving birth.

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