January 5th, 2026 – Poem #1
The Beginning…
This is my first poem, first post, first anything ever published on my blog, so I thought I should make it a tribute to the Pelican, which is the designated symbol and guide of all of my writing.
You can read more about what this poem is about below. Any comments or feedback would be greatly appreciated.
The Pelican’s Pen
The shore was a wrinkled sort of ivory
crumpled in hasty distaste–imperfectly recovered
and laid out against an unforgivably
opaque and black ocean which
gnashed against the rocks and confines
of the earthly inkwell that held it.
And in the space where sand meets sea
stood a petrified mass of shadow
shattering sprays of water that crashed
against it while providing a throne-like
rest to the moonlight-dressed Pelican,
whose eye glistened at the scene below.
Crabs crawled in senseless spirals and
pointed periods as a group of giddy gulls
hopped a series of symbols, scattering for
a tired turtle or two to drag their way
to sea in patterned scoops like commas,
all amidst scattered shells and seaweed.
And silence reveals the written shore’s
sands etched with sentences and the
wailing inhales of the waters as they
slowly recline before sending a vengeful
crest that floods the land in ink, tossing
shards of moonlight across the surface.
Again silence reveals the empty shore
erased as the floods recede, not a
single bleed bled through the canvas,
not a single word remained to be read
as that noble bird, a statue erect in
that restless world–now bowed its head.
Toward its breast it brought its mighty beak,
a golden sword it plunged into its chest
drenching red against white and sending
to land and sea ruby droplets to quench and
quiet both when received, as they witnessed a
single feather of celestial glow retrieved.
And with that luminous plume, from that
still-bleeding wound, the Pelican willed its
blood to spill like ink and for the world to
drink in the sight of flesh and feathers
triumphing again as the Pelican bowed
its noble head to take upon itself, its own pen.
© 2026 Alana Karam. All rights reserved.
About this Poem
I am, by no means, the Pelican I have described in this poem. I am more kin to the sand-crawlers instead. If you read my “About” page, you will know that the Pelican is a symbol attributed to perfect giving and sacrifice, even used to represent Lord Jesus Christ. (I recommend going to my “About” page to learn more.)
The Pelican in this poem is my inspiration and guide for my writing, which I want to imbue with meaning and truth. Similar to how Christ wrote the world and redeemed us with his sacrifice, I want my writing to become a form of pure sacrifice modeled after Him. It’s so easy to write yourself and others to ruin, and the weight of words has actually scared me away from writing for the longest time, but with the Pelican as my guide, I can orient my writing toward truth and meaning in a way that I hope all people can understand and resonate with.
I’ve never felt the power and burden of the pen more than when I have written poetry, and I ask for Christ to be my guide in all of my work, which I hope may only contribute to humanity and His kingdom.
Thank you for taking the time to read my work. Hopefully this is the start of a beautiful beginning that I hope you will stay with me for.