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Transformations
by aquis Tuesday, Jun 29 2010, 10:50am
international / prose/poetry / literature

Aphrodite, born of the sea

never found in shallows
this species is at home
in deep, dark waters;

not content
with peripheral superficialities,
which satisfy only feebs,
this genus enjoys rare prizes,
pearls of quality
and other treasures
hidden deep beneath
the surface
in warm
velvet seas.

pressure intolerant creatures
spin endlessly on the surface
subject to all manner of vexations
buffeted by every imaginable whim,
forces that have little effect on the
dwellers of the deep.

occasionally,
curiosity overcomes
a surface dweller
and tentative plunges are made
until subtle body changes
equip the brave
for deeper dives, which accelerate
the metamorphosis until
a new, more able body is formed
[one] able to withstand and enjoy the deep.

during this transformation
fear of leaving familiar surrounds
tussles with the desire
for something new, more satisfying.

at this critical time a dweller of the deep,
sensing the promise of a new addition,
may guide/assist in the process
by accompanying the adventurer down,
until delicate winged fins and pulsing gills
fully form --
making a most exquisite creature of the deep.

success is rare
most candidates balk
and return to the surface
to spend their days in desperate mediocrity.

some undaunted souls persist
completing the transformation
to enter a new dimension
inhabited
with exotic and mysterious
species and the rewards associated with that
kind.

remain true and venture down,
the rewards far exceed
the challenges.

Alone in the Crowd - Pavlov's Dog

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