Our Lady of the Gyre
ShortStory 5,485 words Recommended by 3 award/anthology sources
"The wind sings in the petal wires. Alma hangs by one arm from the hull of the lily. With the other she works furiously at the tether brake. Each time the lily is lifted by a wave the tether zips down into the big dark. The third time the water breaks over her she gives up on fixing the brake and, when the lily starts sliding down the wave, snubs the tether."
Quasar links out; the story lives on Analog, where the author gets the click.