Author Archives: Mary McCormic-McInnis

We dip in, we dip out The blankets roll in, the watery blankets roll out Seaweed curls brown along the moving edge of life, while our bodies curl in against the chill to fend off what can’t be won No one wins here, no one loses here All are welcome, nothing is lost, just relocated,Continue reading “May 30, 2021”

Moon jellyfish and sunshine—a recipe for happiness. My swims of late have been sporadic, with life on land pushing my water life aside. I’ve missed the open water, and with the sun burning bright this week, the call of the Salish Sea has grown strong again along with my resolve to get back in moreContinue reading “May 14, 2021”

A letter to my two sons. Today feels like a good day to write you a letter. I am only a mother because of you two, and I want to give you the gift of words to mark this day. You are bound to each other like a clam shell—brothers. Connected and forever a partContinue reading “May 9, 2021”

It took me awhile to get here. And my journey has only just begun. I reached the Pacific Ocean. But I didn’t make this journey alone. Every journey I have embarked on has involved other people, other voices, other stories. None of us are ever truly alone. My husband was central to me making itContinue reading “April 28, 2021”

Seaweed blooms under a bright sun, a bath of brown flecks and pollen and happy stands of reds and greens crowd the shallows. After we sort the barnacles beneath our tender feet, our legs jumping upwards like a dancer over hot coals we bumble awkwardly over biting stones, reaching the water’s edge at low tide.Continue reading “April 17, 2021”

Between the waves Below the blue sky Above the roiling earth Where the seaweed resides And time gets quiet for a spell I dance I rock I roll Between and over the waves Saltwater splashes in, I cough, I pause, I look out at a sea of glistening diamonds and astounding beauty—of mountains of snowContinue reading “April 12, 2021”

Spring unfolds, the water wrapping its magic around us Warm air, neighbor children and smiles stroll together to the beach We anticipate delights there The moment is now, the birds twitter in the brush, the seagulls call us to the salty brine In goes young C., fearless like his father of the cold water, pleasedContinue reading “April 6, 2021”

A typical adult moon snail (three species of which inhabit the Salish Sea) needs four days—plus a clam—to just reach her meal. Four entire days to drill a perfectly round hole through the clam’s hard shell, all the while fending off predators, including her own kind. Then she needs another full day to fully ingestContinue reading “April 4, 2021”

Seaweed and seals. I took to the water yesterday, pushing through a wall of fatigue, unsure of myself, questioning whether the cold water would invigorate or sink me. I had returned from work to eat lunch and had collapsed onto the couch for an hour long nap. I don’t nap. Ever. Only sickness leads meContinue reading “March 31, 2021”

I should write about the light That light that falls upon us everyday but we forget it is there Blinded by the darkness we look forward and backward forgetting that we are the light Each one of us is the light We are made of water and light What else do we need to know?Continue reading “March 28, 2021”