king tide
the bay ripples
with jellyfish

Lynette Arden

Jellyfish blooms on a king tide are a natural occurrence in certain places when conditions are right and such are the numbers that the sea might seem to be more jellyfish than water ~ notions of  fertility and abundance come to mind. King tides occur when the moon and sun align at those times of the year when the earth’s orbit is closest to the sun (perihelion) and the moon’s orbit is closest to the earth (perigee). It is easy to forget as we wade through the shallows we are immersed in the motions of the solar system and the plants and animals of the sea likewise live according to its rhythms. I found this all to be such a delightful contemplation arising from the reading of this haiku and this was lifted to another level again as i wondered what kind of light might play upon this scene.

First Published:  Presence # 44, 2011

Suffused with motion

Selection & comments by Simon Hanson