Poems by Mary Christine Delea

Sea Jelly

by Mary Christine Delea

From Canary Summer 2022

Mary lives where the Clackamas River and the Willamette River meet, on the hill above the Willamette Falls in Oregon. However, she is spending the summer on Long Island, where the Secatogues lived on the banks of the Great South Bay and inland creeks.

Imagine yourself
The possibilities
Immortal clones, bioluminescent organs, stinging tentacles     No
brain, no bones, no heart, just bag body
But the mouth! O mouth centered on the body underneath
     Imagine food going in and     when you need to
move     you tighten your midsection
and the water that shoots out moves you forward     However,
that takes energy
Mostly you will just float dependent on the currents, your
environment
Unless you are a bloodybelly comb jelly
O name that makes you fierce
O body Valentine red and transparent     organs shaped
like human skulls     living so deep you do not recognize real light
And move
Imagine you would beat your tiny cilia as if rowing a boat
Always beating, always moving
     That color
     That depth
You are invisible to those who would harm you
But just to be sure you keep rowing
Imagine the darkness, the stamina
O brainless being bright red looking like a human brain
Yet you are without any thoughts of grief,
Hatred, worry, envy, fear, regret
O bloodbelly comb jelly
The possibilities