27/06/2024
Do you like or loath oysters or are you somewhere else on the continuum?
The following poem is from my upcoming memoir, Mistaken for a Man, A Story for Anyone Struggling to Feel Comfortable in Their Own Skin, Clothes, and Community. It was written after reading a poem by Maya Rachel Stein using the jump off line, “what I know about sturgeon could fit in …,” from Knowing Sturgeon by Maya Stein which you can listen to on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqMftpI3Np8
The Revealing Existence of Oysters
Kimberly Burnham
What I know about oysters could fit between the toes of my flip flops
from an internship in 1977 on an oyster farm in Hawaii
I learned oysters are a culinary delicacy that I don't favor
no, stronger than that, I find them disgusting
but other people with different pallets and cultures and histories
love to eat them raw, steamed, grilled, fried, or in chowder like clams
What I know about oysters could fit inside my wedding ring on my finger just six years
my marriage must last another 24 years before I reach the pearl anniversary
I will be 90 the age of my mother and hope to visit Japan again
buy a pearl for my wife long before we have been married 30 years
What I know of oysters could fit in the shape of my fingernails
as I produce a red welt on my arm scratching a mosquito bite
I think of oysters producing pearls in response to irritation
the more they are bothered by a grain of sand the bigger the pearl gets
some creatures produce beauty in response to pain
What I know of oysters could fit in the handle of a pearl divers knife
in Japan divers hold their breath for longer than I can imagine
many meters below the surface to return with an oyster cut from the sea
these daringly harvested oysters sold to tourists for a chance, a lick of luck
you can't tell whether there is or the size of the pearl in an oyster from the outside
only vulnerability and a peek inside will tell you
What I know of pearls could fit in a small jewelry box
a gift from a friend in Japan inlaid with mother of pearl
a name that makes me think of a pearl family with two mothers and lots of baby pearls
and I wonder at the exquisiteness of nature
lining the hard oyster shell protecting soft tissues with iridescence
a result of light interacts with layers of aragonite crystals
which come in various colors, cream, silver, pink, even blue or green
What I know of oysters could fit inside my guitar
the inlays of mother of pearl along the neck is strong and resilient
despite a thin and delicate appearance is believed to ward off evil spirits
What I know about oysters could fit inside my jean's pocket where I keep my wallet, writing notes, and sometimes garden gloves
I remember learning in Hawaii oysters are trans
they are born male and produce three billion s***m a year for two or three years
then permanently change to female and produce half a billion eggs a year
changing in response to the environment, the temperature, and the needs of the oyster bed
and perhaps an internal desire I will never glimpse
What I know about oysters could fit in a glass of water.
I learned they are filter feeders on the west coast where I spent a month
studying marine biology at the University of Washington marine labs
oysters actively filter small particles from the water to feed themselves
filtering up to 50 gallons of water a day improving their environment
they are also sensitive to the destructive tendencies of other, environmental changes and pollution
their health and growth serve as indicators of water quality in their habitats
What I know of oysters could fit on a map in my phone
oysters are found in oceans around the world, from temperate to tropical waters
different species have adapted to various habitats, from intertidal zones to deeper waters
the thought that oysters are everywhere brings a smile to my face
What I know of oysters could fit in a shoe which is as odd as the line from Lewis Carroll saying,
"but four young Oysters hurried up ... Their shoes were clean and neat —
and this was odd, because, you know, They hadn't any feet."
Carroll must have also had a fascination with oysters
Alice in Wonderland encounters singing oysters on the beach
and Tweedledee and Tweedledum recite a poem
how the Walrus and the Carpenter tricked young oysters into joining them for a walk,
only to eat them in the end
But all of this knowledge does not make me want to eat oysters or consider them an aphrodisiac
they are a taste that I have not acquired and that is okay
because I appreciate the beauty they bring to the world
and am happy to see them when I go scuba diving or to the beach
because I know their very existence tells me something about the environment
together we live in
