Shell Shock Venus
Michael Hedges
Shell Shock Venus, aborted at sea
Her youthful uniform torn open and free
Floating where the whirlpools swirl
Men came diving for her pearl
They'd scour her surfaces
She'd dredge up their deep
In a chaotic universe, shallow and sweet
And as the merman hurled
Woman went careening from the girl
And no line of questioning
Could penetrate her nerve
But something was tapping her reserve
Ashes of innocence, splinters of dreams
Her anger in residence, ripping the seams
And petrifying fast
She anchored to that mast
Through waves of ecstasy
They'd compromise
But something was vacant in her eyes
Reptiles in water, a goddess in heat
We dreamt of a daughter, Venus and me
Floating where the whirlpools swirl
Men came diving for her pearl