If at times, Solanna's mind took her to the watery cave of her own childhood
with her seal mother covering
her on the dark ledge
and the mermaids and seahorses
talking softly among themselves,
she never spoke of it
to Red Brian or anyone
and in this way, seven years passed
and the baby grew to a fine green-eyed boy
with silky hair and his mother's way
of looking off into the distance
and her gift for singing.