When the world weighs heavily
upon my shoulders,
I go to the shore.
As the sea breeze blows
through my being,
thoughts grow still.
My heart takes comfort
in the sound
of the eternal breakers rolling in,
wave on endless wave,
upon the sand.
The beauty of the sea
strengthens my spirit,
its ever-breathing roar
replenishing my stores of peace.
The susurration of its
eternal song
washes through me,
through my eyes, my ears, my being
until I am as calm
as the lull between waves,
as strong and silent
as the smooth stones
scattered by the tide,
as patient as the sand dollar
that spins its house
from the sand and grit around it
and carries it along.
When the world weighs heavily
upon my shoulders,
when wildfires burn towns
to apocalyptic landscapes,
as people and wild creatures perish,
and whales are slowly starving
out at sea,
when chain saws bite and
trees are slaughtered
right outside my window,
when the phone brings bad news.....
I go to the shore,
let the sea breeze blow
through my being,
am soothed by the susurration
of the sea's eternal song.
My thoughts grow still
as starfish in the tidepools,
as a moonsnail shining
at the edge of the surf.
And when I turn away,
walk the path back to my car,
I am restored,
like the sand dollar,
carrying my home
- and my peace -
along with me,
ready to protect
each whale, re-plant each tree,
repay Mother Earth
for all she gives
to me.
for my prompt at Real Toads on Saturday: The Places That Heal Us. And shared with the Poetry Pantry at Poets United on Sunday.
The ocean always brings peace! Lovely.
ReplyDeleteThis reads like a song made of waves and gentle dancing. I can see why you find it to be so soothing...
ReplyDeleteI agree - the wind, the waves, the horizon stretching out... I can only think I want my ashes to one day join this "orchestra".
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful Sherry; just what I expected from you! What a healer the sea is.
ReplyDeleteThis poem is such a lovely song of peace and serenity, the landscape and the images and their impact are beautifully expressed. I especially liked this bit: "The susurration of its/eternal song
ReplyDeletewashes through me,/through my eyes, my ears, my being/until I am as calm/as the lull between waves". Even reading it makes me feel that calm. :-)
Beautiful...nature renews and heals in such a miraculous way.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, one of my favourite places to go. I agree about the heart taking comfort 'in the sound of the eternal breakers rolling in,
ReplyDeletewave on endless wave' and 'The susurration of its eternal song'. I especially love:
'...the lull between waves,
as strong and silent
as the smooth stones
scattered by the tide'.
What a blessing it is to have a special place to go to when the burdens of life become too much to bear! The shore is your special place, your healing place. May your life be filled with shore-days (not that I'm wishing you burdens, mind you!).
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful shore you have to go to! You describe it so vividly, it is as if you are taking me with you.
ReplyDeleteI love how the shore is like a clean slate and the sea and shore is so largely uninhabited and primal, like the other side of the sky. We an be ourselves and lose ourselves there. Thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteThis is breathtakingly gorgeous, Sherry!💞 Especially resonate with: "The beauty of the sea strengthens my spirit, its ever-breathing roar replenishing my stores of peace."💞
ReplyDeleteThe sea is a wonderful place to be... the sound of the breakers can really quiet all other noises... wonderful and thank you for the prompt.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of the roar of the sea replenishing your stores of peace. Nice!
ReplyDeleteWhat is it about the sea shore that is so deeply healing....I crave it these days and must do without. Beautiful poem Sherry!
ReplyDelete"the susurration
ReplyDeleteof the sea's eternal song"
Beautiful image Sherry. Thanks for dropping by sumie Sunday today
Much🖤love
This is beautiful Sherry
ReplyDeleteWhen the world weighs heavily
upon my shoulders,
I go to the shore.
When I am feeling the weight on my shoulders I head to the shore or the mountains. I just need a place to once again feel grounded with nature.
You have imbued this poem with a lovely peace and spirituality. Though the core of it is the sea, you transitioned beautifully into reflection and reverence for all of nature and - for many reasons - I think that was important to do. It really is all connected - on so many levels - isn't it. Nature is a source of renewal and out of renewal - there is hope. So much to contemplate in this, Sherry.
ReplyDeleteIn peace we find strength--even as it's easy to overlook in the maelstrom.
ReplyDeleteThe sea is a great comfort and healer. To live by the sea is a great blessing.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful heartfelt poem.
"... re-plant each tree,
ReplyDeleterepay Mother Earth
for all she gives
to me."
Well done "Johnny Apple Seed"...we stay on balance and in tune.
Mother Nature's frustration has always survived "Man"
ZQ
I'm so glad you have the ocean! A place of such peace and beauty and also the realization of a dream. You've shown me the power of believing things into our reality, thank you! I love
ReplyDelete"I go to the shore,
let the sea breeze blow
through my being,
am soothed by the susurration
of the sea's eternal song." Lovely poem! xx
The lull of the ocean is amniotic, a womb whose waters are fraught with the same salt as our tears and blood. Going home there is a return to the womb. Sigh, yes.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I have found my 'sessions' by the sea to be thoroughly therapeutic, revitalizing in me the will to splash some hope and positive energy on challenges that preoccupied my soul.
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful Sherry! Love how the poem ebbed and flowed like the tides.
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful. I felt the ocean, and beauty and its healing in your words.
ReplyDeleteI love to the visit the ocean to ponder
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWonderful cleansing, Sherry. The "eternal breakers" are more constant than any mathematical constant that Einstein could come up with. I too love the smell of the "sea Breeze," it is purest of the pure. I like also to see how the prompter handles his/her own prompt. You never disappoint. Thank you for it, I had to "clear" my mind and write for it, a pure joy it was. (I've been really busy, doubling as caregiver, housekeeper, cook, etc besides tending my own messes--Mrs. Jim will finally, since October 10th, be allowed to put weight on her left foot after her bunion surgery and foot repair.)
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