The Conch

a poem by Vidhya Jayarama Raja

Shell swam the seven seas
Slumbered a while in the sand
Emptiness echoing the ebbing tide
Space that spoke the sounds
Of the seas in silence
Of times when waves wandered within
Of the snail that it sheltered
Of the crab that couched within
Sounds summoned soldiers,
Sang of victories
Crafted covered conch
Claims priority amidst pujas.