sunday, october 30, 2011

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‹› repairing the hull ‹›

Alice had been sitting on the beach all day, feeling a call to be there, but not knowing why she stayed. it was now night and moonlight dappled the sand under the trees where she sat; and still she lingered, alone, thinking thoughts of her seemingly poor destiny. 

"one makes their own destiny, mostly" whispered a wave~like voice between Alice and the ocean. she looked up to see the rough form of a woman coming toward her in the moonlight, salt water dripping from her body and a multitude of shells covering her. Alice gasped and pulled slightly back from this odd and somewhat disturbing apparition, hoping it would disappear; but the vision and the voice continued.

"oh, come on girl!" said the watery voice. "i may not be much to look at, but i am not here to hurt you. i am here to help you, if you allow.... hear it said they call me 'the Shell Teller', but by whatever name, i have things to say to you."

Alice relaxed somewhat, having heard legends of the Shell Teller, and said quietly into the night, "i allow."

immediately, the woman shook water from herself on the sand all around Alice. the sand began to swirl and wave in front of her so much that Alice thought she was hallucinating. then, onto the sand, the Shell Teller tossed shells and pearls and other mysterious things. she ultimately knelt, placed a small crystal ball on top, gazed into it, and spoke:

"you are in danger of sliding into your own obscurity, Alice. you have placed a yoke around your own brightness which may yet pull you down and drown your Muse. be careful, girl. you have let the outcroppings of sharp coral and submerged rocks in life damage your hull and drive further inland, when you need to be sailing the open seas of existence. the River Styx will exact it's payment, dear girl, but you don't have to pay in perpetuity! it is in your power within to repair the holes that life has made and the tolls that life has taken. make that choice Alice. let go of the initial pains that have shored themselves inside of you. the universe is too perfect for you to not be perfect in it. repair the damage with self compassion, and if your sails are torn, patch them with great esteem for all that is wonderful within you. if you do this, you will find that your hull will not leak in the water of life, and your sails will hold fast against even the strongest gales...."

Alice was still transfixed by the whole hypnotic affair as she watched the woman stand and all the shells and pearls follow her of their own volition, reattaching to her body. the Shell Teller turned and walked back to the ocean, speaking as she merged with the waves:

"you have wondrous strength in you Alice. remove that yoke, do not allow yourself to slide in, and you will find that a rich and magnificent destiny awaits you...."

Alice was left with a small crystal ball sitting in front of her on the now normal sand, glowing in the dappled moonlight.

wishing you blessings as vast as the ocean

saxz 

∞