SEA SHELLS

Words and pictures by Rebecca Sheerin

Commissioned and printed by Out of The Blue Print, Leith

I spent sometime exploring the rock pools of Pittenweem in Fife and watching the mussel-fishing boats in the harbour. My poem is about a child, collecting shells and discovering the abundance of life swimming in rock pools. I wanted to tell a story that celebrated shells in all their forms, from the beach, under the waves and as the livelihood of a seaside town. It was important for me to showcase low eco-impact mussel farming and how we have lived in harmony alongside the sea for centuries. On my walks along the Fife coast I discovered a house tiled with hundreds of white shells. I was inspired by the imagery of this human harbour being as much a natural part of the landscape as the rocks and the sea-weed at its feet.