​Beneath Opal Heavy Waves by Holly Payne-Strange

This week I went fishing for a sea monster. 
I go every Friday.  
The one I want has scales hard as silence  
And moonlit eyes that see straight through you, 
As if to say ‘I could do better’
To be fair, he could. 

I’ve caught him twice before. 
The first time he got away,
Diving so deep, I could hardly see his outline
As he sped away. 

The second time 
I let him think he got away 
But I used a line so long 
It went to the bottom of the ocean. 
So I just have to be patient. 
I bought more than a few good books. 
Right now he’s somewhere near Greenland, 
Annoying the icebergs. 
He'll be back. 

People say I’m crazy. 
That I could be doing better things
With all my time and all my line. 
That the flat and ceaseless ocean is no companion
And I should find someone to dance with. 

I say they’ve never met my dragon.
And if they ever had the chance, 
To gamble all their heart 
On some reckless, wild chase,
Then I hope they jump at it. 

Even the shadow of a sea serpent 
Can outshine the sun. 


The writing of Holly Payne-Strange has been lauded by USA Today, LA weekly and The New York Times. Her poetry has been published by various groups including Door Is A Jar magazine, Quail Bell, In Parenthesis, and Dipity Lit Magazine, among others.