a poem a day in the month of may
Seaside
I stand on the edge
of the seaside shore,
the waves gently
lapping at my feet.
The call is to come,
come out to the deep,
but my feet won’t budge
from the sand.
The deep is unknown,
not safe, not safe,
and I might not
make it back home.
But the water keeps calling,
calling my name,
wooing me in
with the promise of more.
I want to go deeper,
go deeper still,
but first I must
leave from the shore.
Sitting on the sand
Staring at the Sea
Wondering what to write
As I think about me
Wondering where I fit
As the breeze softly caresses
Free right now this moment
From all the daily stresses
They often ask
Mountains or Seaside
Easy to answer
With the tide as my Guide
a full-clan recess, year after year.
sunrises, dolphins, dune-top hot tub;
sea glass safaris and duck do-nuts;
italian ices, old bay,
& drinks with umbrellas.
Love, joy, peace; all fruits covered.
Tribe of 10, epic.
Thinned by 1, colorless.
I live by a lake large enough to be called an inland sea
but it isn't
On stormy days we can hear the waves blasting against the breakwaters and bluffs
The sound is energizing and terrifying in turn
On sunny days the color of the lake is bluegreenaqua
We drink the water and it is good
The fish can only be eaten occasionally
Alewives no longer die on the shores replaced by algae that grow deep in the clear water
Cruise ships dock
Sailors dance their boats in the wind and water
The seas and oceans are our mother
The seas and oceans nuture our craven souls
To be seaside is to be at home and at peace
saltwater crashing
heals; cycles now again, and
again present here.
Short one today from Vivienne:
I’m at the seaside today at night
Come on, says a friend, let’s swim tonight
I lived at the seaside forever and ever
Did not live in another house, never never
God created an ocean in me,
a vast depth even I am terrified
to tread, uncontainable-
it’s okay to start on the seaside,
my shoreline of leaping edges
laughing around ankles.
I have never felt more alive than
when I am near the ocean.
There is something about
the rush of waves,
the smell of salt on the air;
a place that is so expansive -
so breathtakingly inexorable -
reminding me to breathe, to take up space.
the endless lapping of water on the shore,
the ever-present breeze;
a place that is always in motion -
always making noise -
inviting me to be still, and quiet.
the blinding reflection from the sea,
the impossibly beautiful sunsets;
a place that is hard to look at -
and hard to look away from -
giving me permission to exist fully,
unapologetic.
It is past (mari)time
to go coastal
plunk down
by the seaside
soothed by sights
massaged by sounds
of bird and surf
into primordial bliss
bone of bone
flesh of flesh
water of life
home is where
the ocean is
Thank you for this beautiful meditation! We’re also preparing for a move and I’m envisioning a cozy space surrounded by trees and creeks where our son can learn how to run and play in the arms of nature.
The Kenyan coast,
Welcomed me in,
To it’s lukewarm water.
I had never felt an ocean,
So warm, so inviting.
The salty water,
Clung to my freckles,
Wanting them,
To dive in as well.
seaside
I have never seen
the water so blue
and so deep
only we were there
that small group of us
surfaced
off the coast of the
Bahamas
no land in sight
just men on a swim call
diving off
fairwater planes
steel beach to
enjoy the sun
easy to forget
why we were there
what we would do
before and after
that respite
it amazes me still
the beauty of creation
and that is
reflection of
the glory of
YHWH
and a witness to
the creating grace
and power
therein
The childhood memories
of buckets and spades
sandy sandwiches
and a bracing wind
blowing over Scottish seas
have given way
to the adult longing
to stand quietly still
gazing at the expanse of the horizon
watching the beauty of the setting sun
over the Pacific
One day, lost and bewildered,
Not certain of what the next steps might be,
I wandered to the sea.
Wild and rowdy ocean coastline,
Long sweeping white sand beach,
Essential life force for the birds and the sea creature;
a refuge for weary wanderers likes me.
Each of us feeding on what sustains us.
Confused and broken, I walked.
Miles and miles, not sure if turning around
was an option that mattered.
It was then, on the cold and windswept
shifting seascape before me,
That I realized: turning around
was less about going back then
Going forward.
There among the bleached driftwood,
battered lobster traps,
strewn seaweed and rainbow shells,
whirling pools where all is forgiven,
it was there, by that humble and roaring seaside,
that life found me again.
My contribution:
.
After a long day,
I walk to her blazing shores
And pull off my shoes.
My sigh pierces the rush of the waves
Ahhhhhhh
Oh, I can definitely go here,
Salty sensuality filling my nostrils.
I roll up my pant leg,
I gaze out, hopelessly
In love with her horizon.
Oh, this is definitely home.
I close my eyes and
Still, she holds me,
My teacher lover who has
Been by my side
Every time I’ve asked her to.
Someone once said,
And maybe I did too,
Here, I am never alone.
I look up to the sky,
See the clouds rolling past,
Off to find another day,
And that’s the only truth I need.
Better late than never:
Gulf Shore
In a chair...
On a beach...
By the gulf...
Only the seagulls for company.
Waves breaks...
Gulls cry...
Breezes blow...
As the shore restores my soul.
Karri Temple Brackett
May 17, 2023
https://themarvelousandthemundane.com/2023/05/17/gulf-shore/
Seaside
I stand on the edge
of the seaside shore,
the waves gently
lapping at my feet.
The call is to come,
come out to the deep,
but my feet won’t budge
from the sand.
The deep is unknown,
not safe, not safe,
and I might not
make it back home.
But the water keeps calling,
calling my name,
wooing me in
with the promise of more.
I want to go deeper,
go deeper still,
but first I must
leave from the shore.
Sitting on the sand
Staring at the Sea
Wondering what to write
As I think about me
Wondering where I fit
As the breeze softly caresses
Free right now this moment
From all the daily stresses
They often ask
Mountains or Seaside
Easy to answer
With the tide as my Guide
a full-clan recess, year after year.
sunrises, dolphins, dune-top hot tub;
sea glass safaris and duck do-nuts;
italian ices, old bay,
& drinks with umbrellas.
Love, joy, peace; all fruits covered.
Tribe of 10, epic.
Thinned by 1, colorless.
I live by a lake large enough to be called an inland sea
but it isn't
On stormy days we can hear the waves blasting against the breakwaters and bluffs
The sound is energizing and terrifying in turn
On sunny days the color of the lake is bluegreenaqua
We drink the water and it is good
The fish can only be eaten occasionally
Alewives no longer die on the shores replaced by algae that grow deep in the clear water
Cruise ships dock
Sailors dance their boats in the wind and water
The seas and oceans are our mother
The seas and oceans nuture our craven souls
To be seaside is to be at home and at peace
saltwater crashing
heals; cycles now again, and
again present here.
Short one today from Vivienne:
I’m at the seaside today at night
Come on, says a friend, let’s swim tonight
I lived at the seaside forever and ever
Did not live in another house, never never
God created an ocean in me,
a vast depth even I am terrified
to tread, uncontainable-
it’s okay to start on the seaside,
my shoreline of leaping edges
laughing around ankles.
I have never felt more alive than
when I am near the ocean.
There is something about
the rush of waves,
the smell of salt on the air;
a place that is so expansive -
so breathtakingly inexorable -
reminding me to breathe, to take up space.
There is something about
the endless lapping of water on the shore,
the ever-present breeze;
a place that is always in motion -
always making noise -
inviting me to be still, and quiet.
There is something about
the blinding reflection from the sea,
the impossibly beautiful sunsets;
a place that is hard to look at -
and hard to look away from -
giving me permission to exist fully,
unapologetic.
It is past (mari)time
to go coastal
plunk down
by the seaside
soothed by sights
massaged by sounds
of bird and surf
into primordial bliss
bone of bone
flesh of flesh
water of life
home is where
the ocean is
Thank you for this beautiful meditation! We’re also preparing for a move and I’m envisioning a cozy space surrounded by trees and creeks where our son can learn how to run and play in the arms of nature.
The Kenyan coast,
Welcomed me in,
To it’s lukewarm water.
I had never felt an ocean,
So warm, so inviting.
The salty water,
Clung to my freckles,
Wanting them,
To dive in as well.
seaside
I have never seen
the water so blue
and so deep
only we were there
that small group of us
surfaced
off the coast of the
Bahamas
no land in sight
just men on a swim call
diving off
fairwater planes
steel beach to
enjoy the sun
easy to forget
why we were there
what we would do
before and after
that respite
it amazes me still
the beauty of creation
and that is
reflection of
the glory of
YHWH
and a witness to
the creating grace
and power
therein
The childhood memories
of buckets and spades
sandy sandwiches
and a bracing wind
blowing over Scottish seas
have given way
to the adult longing
to stand quietly still
gazing at the expanse of the horizon
watching the beauty of the setting sun
over the Pacific
Seaside
One day, lost and bewildered,
Not certain of what the next steps might be,
I wandered to the sea.
Wild and rowdy ocean coastline,
Long sweeping white sand beach,
Essential life force for the birds and the sea creature;
a refuge for weary wanderers likes me.
Each of us feeding on what sustains us.
Confused and broken, I walked.
Miles and miles, not sure if turning around
was an option that mattered.
It was then, on the cold and windswept
shifting seascape before me,
That I realized: turning around
was less about going back then
Going forward.
There among the bleached driftwood,
battered lobster traps,
strewn seaweed and rainbow shells,
whirling pools where all is forgiven,
it was there, by that humble and roaring seaside,
that life found me again.
My contribution:
Seaside
.
After a long day,
I walk to her blazing shores
And pull off my shoes.
My sigh pierces the rush of the waves
Ahhhhhhh
Oh, I can definitely go here,
Salty sensuality filling my nostrils.
I roll up my pant leg,
I gaze out, hopelessly
In love with her horizon.
Oh, this is definitely home.
I close my eyes and
Still, she holds me,
My teacher lover who has
Been by my side
Every time I’ve asked her to.
Someone once said,
And maybe I did too,
Here, I am never alone.
I look up to the sky,
See the clouds rolling past,
Off to find another day,
And that’s the only truth I need.
Better late than never:
Gulf Shore
In a chair...
On a beach...
By the gulf...
Only the seagulls for company.
Waves breaks...
Gulls cry...
Breezes blow...
As the shore restores my soul.
Karri Temple Brackett
May 17, 2023
https://themarvelousandthemundane.com/2023/05/17/gulf-shore/