OF PELICANS AND PERDITION

by Mary Saracino


In the deep heart of ocean waters
a voice sings
of pelicans and perdition
of sullied shorelines and greed-scarred shrimp
of wailing whales and spewing oil
of dark, black blood gushing
from the severed aorta
of our Great Mother Earth
a grief-crazed Cassandra
howling at the weeping moon
her prophetic admonition racing
through the desecrated waters
a Sibyl’s siren-call
warning, warning, warning
us to mend our ways, save our souls
before it is too late.


Mary Saracino is a novelist, poet and memoir-writer who lives in Lafayette, CO . Her most recent novel, The Singing of Swans (Pearlsong Press 2006) was a 2007 Lambda Literary Awards Finalist. Her short story, "Vicky's Secret" earned the 2007 Glass Woman Prize.
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