"Wracking"

Wracking

Riding rolling waves over pirate ships, war,

graves of loved ones bound for Charleston

and destinations unknown -

a whelk, knobbed and streaked, 

laid to rest gently upon sand freshly piled high

amongst seagrass and vine.

What secrets have you seen, of history,

of mystery that swirls and churns about

treacherous Diamond Shoals?

Many lie neglected, battered, shattered 

beneath our feet, fragments further crushed,

pulled back into ocean's broiling waves.

Lone survivor, we basket you, wash, bleach, 

brush, oil, shine, place you upon a shelf - "collected" -

open many a book, search for what you can't say.

Margaret Bednar, February 3, 2014

This is linked with "Imaginary Garden with Real Toads - Open Link Monday".  Wracking is the "age old profession" of scavenging the beach.  We enjoyed two "winter" weekends on Hatteras and Ocracoke Island and found a lot of shells - but the shell found here was the only "perfect" large one we found.  We feel really lucky.  

The top image is also linked with "I Heart Macro - week #38"

Below is exactly how and where we found it on Hatteras Island, perched gently upon a sand dune amongst sea grass: