A Sea Of Red Poem by Sheryl Deane

(KommetjieCape Town- January 2009)

Why lie in the shallows little whale?

She walked quietly in the lapping white sea waves
Kneeling softly she reached out to a young whale
Her hand became a pleading mouth
Stroking calm over the distraught beached creature

The smooth grey rubbery skin was warm to touch
As mystical adventures
Escaped in strong gusts and spouts

‘'Keep your secrets little whale''
‘'Go back, go back ‘'

Horizons ahead will swallow your escape



(Durban Harbor, WhalingStation 1970)


Echos of the chugging motors
Boats with harpoons
Churningwaters, moving backward
Screeches of the winch and chain
Loud slices of open flesh
Cruel sacrifice

Small hands clasped together
Eyes squinting out to sea
No tears, feet rooted to the spot
Wide eyed with foreboding expectation

The child sees all

Frantic calves follow
Breaching in rivers of mothers blood
Braving the shark feast
Fearless they follow their life giver till the end

The song of the Calf to its dying mother rings out
And strange birdlike cries pierce her ears like icy knives
In a wet cold wind

Orphaned baby whale
‘'Go back, go back, go back''


Choking in silence
While watching the deep red colors
Merge with the azure blue sea
Till swells glimmer with mothers blood
The reddish sunset haze
Smelt of death

Poor child
Poor baby whale

Sadness lingers all the way home
And restless nights follow
With decades disturbed by dreams
Of birdlike screams

Today in Kommetjie
The nightmare rose to the surface
While adult hands grown large with time
Firmlynudged andtugged
A beached whale
Back to life