| Norman Ball |
The Whale - Sonnet 34read by ed gero Leviathan, what coaxed you back to sea? Did premonition sour you to the land? Perhaps you saw the vex of history and, wisely, chose a watery remand. Awkward, we Fell; you sank to cooler climes, your massive girth played foil to Yahweh’s glare. We battled seas; you swam to rhythmic tides while sailors scrimshawed biblical despairs. We’ve harpooned all pretense at gentle neighbor reserving special violence for your end. Nor does predation justify these labors. No, cruelty masks an envious intent: we fend alone on this terrestrial stage; no depth’s too deep to plunge our jealous rage. 
© Candace Reid From the CD "Return to One," a sequence of sonnets entitled "The Whale, The Bull and The Light Bringer," by Norman Ball. The reader is Ed Gero of the DC Shakespeare Theater of Washington, DC. Music by Gabriel Yared from his soundtrack to Camile Claudel and used by permission. CD available at CD Baby |