Seal Christ

Seal-Christs Mother
carefully placed her pup on shore
leaving to gather food.
She returned to find that human beings had taken him,
fed him soup and bread
watched in astonishment as his tail turned to legs
his flippers to hands
his black ocean eyes shrinking to that of a boy
beneath salty tangled curls.

Back then the Seal were our kin,
and all Seals could walk as people.

When he was older
Seal-Christ sneaked off to the Ocean
to swim with his Mother
listen to her secrets
translate them in his heart
for his family on land.

They were teachings about currents
and loss
and the wildness that humans yearn for
but always seem to fear.

Her stories were of battles and forgiveness
of the way that life and death swim into and through each other,
she taught that joy and suffering bring us to the one divine light
that guides us all
if we let it,
like a warm current you can barely feel
running under your belly,
guiding you to the slipstream.

His churches were made of driftwood stands
on stone outcrops,
waves crashed across the pews
leaving seaweed offerings tangled at worshippers feet.
Altars were adorned with crustaceans and anemones
where priests and priestesses reminded us
of the great Mother who birthed all life here,
and lent us her only son
so that we might know the one true God.

We knew then that the Ocean was sacred,
that everything we loved once came from Her waters.
We sought redemption there for all of our trespasses
against each other,
against His people,
and against Her waters.

When he was an old man
and it was his time
we did not crucify him.
We walked him to the shore
and held him in the low waves
as his Seal body returned.

He slid through our hands
saying farewell silently
with his beautiful black eyes
shining with Gods and his Mothers love.