the gift of your skin

you came from the twisting convulsive sea,
from waves shattering on rocks,

you appeared there on the desolate shore
sleek, skin glazed, eyes leaking sea, and loneliness

you shivered,
and shed your dark slick sea skin.

you left your fin folk, your home,
your fate for the longing of me.

on knees, body aching and stinging from a new world
that cut like sheets of broken stones,

you offered your skin to me.
i in ignorance, turned away,

scared you, with an indifferent heart,
bloodied you with silence.

you suffered beyond mortal pain,
beyond the agony of the loss of sea,
beyond the gift of your very skin.

you ponder, skin partially slipped on,
you waver in the maelstrom,

red hair streaming, eyes leaking,
wounds still oozing cruelty of tongues,
and selfishness of an ignorant heart.

the fin folk clutch at your feet
when the waves break upon you.

yet now, i understand that gift of skin
from my selkie,

now to late, as the sea takes her.
and i stand sea braking against me,

eyes leaking, wounds oozing,
aching in a world of sheets of broken stones,

the gale swallows my cry and plead for return,
and redemption.

the storm raged, waves broke on the rocks
the shore remains desolate.