{"seoTitle":"Mussel Shell — A Poem About Renewal and the Cold Sea","seoDescription":"A quiet poem about a fisherman, a weathered mussel shell, and an immersion in the cold sea — what is taken, what is given back. By Pemba Umoja.","keywords":"mussel shell poem, sea poem, renewal poem, fisherman poem, cold sea poetry, contemplative poetry, Pemba Umoja poems","line1":"The mussel shell lay","line2":"sandy","line3":"dried","line4":"shriveled under the sun","line5":"","line6":"The old fisherman","line7":"picked it up","line8":"with his aged body","line9":"brought them both","line10":"to the frigid water.","line11":"","line12":"Expressionless","line13":"he entered","line14":"","line15":"The ice water","line16":"climbed slowly","line17":"up his ankles","line18":"his shins","line19":"his hips","line20":"his chest","line21":"his neck","line22":"all of him","line23":"","line24":"There he submersed","line25":"holding the mussel shell","line26":"holding his breath","line27":"wondering if he’d ever return","line28":"","line29":"Minutes rolled by","line30":"with the waves","line31":"","line32":"Then with a giant gasp","line33":"he emerged","line34":"as a young man","line35":"","line36":"The mussel shell shone","line37":"a bright purple","line38":"varnished by the sea","line39":"","line40":"He dropped the mussel shell","line41":"into the surf","line42":"And to the sands","line43":"he returned","line44":"","line45":"The sun began to beat","line46":"upon him again","line47":"","line48":"but the cold sea was never far."}