I was a pilgrim searching
for myself.
Instead I discovered a pure white scallop shell
in a limpid rock pool
radiant in its beauty
King of its pool
shimmering, glowing from the shallow bottom.
I peered close
Through the pellucid water.
A self-assured but unassuming bivalve –
Fan-shaped, splayed
Radiated, ridged,
Dominating its pool.
A confident statement.
This pretty scalloped shell, in a far cold beach
Symbolized safety and security;
I dared not intervene
And could see why
it is a sign of peace
along the Camino de Santiago
in Spain and worn by pilgrims.
Of which I was one.
But my pilgrimage did not end on that journey.
c. Tim Taylor 2020
(based on observations made in New Zealand in 2009)