Darkness lifts from your shoulders
for once, imagine standing by sea
Soulful as wind rushes
your ears in a stampede of energy & verve
Extending your hands, you float
like lilies on pond, free of tangles & dead weights
Call the night now
and see yourself, a key turning
In a singular fluid motion
the water darkens with velocity
Spine bending to sky
you say, take these seeds
Black & curdled with fear
& throw them away to tides & gulls
Moon rises from the sea depths
resplendent orange, full of light
Shining your face, earnest & ardent
inhale salt beds & sun-ripe meadows
Everywhere you turn is luck
& love rooting & ripening, like it has never left -
Posted for OpenLinkNight of D'verse Poets Pub - Join us every Tuesday at 3 pm EST ~
what an uplifting thought there in the end...that despite everything else love never left you...great use of language in this as well...the velocity of hte water darkening popped out at me...the sea, the ocean are def places where the darkness is smoothed over for me...
ReplyDeletehope you have a wonderful day
I love the sea.. it just refreshes the soul when you stand on the shore and let the whole experience wash over you...great poem... now I will have to venture towards the sea air... :)
ReplyDeleteThis was a refreshing read. It's one of those poems (like many of Brian's above) that has me searching for the meaning :)
ReplyDeleteEven through all it is there, one just has to be aware
ReplyDeleteLovely images here, Grace. Soft and gentle. I like floating on lilies of the pond, free of tangles and dead weight; and I enjoyed the love rooting & ripening!
ReplyDeleteThis piece pulses with salty negative ions, invigorates, elevates, reminding us that even standing by the majesty of the sea, each of us has our own communication with it/her/him. My wife adores the ocean. We are this week on our way to spend 4 days on the WA coast for my wife's 10th annual birthday bash, where family & friends rent cottages by the sea and help her to celebrate, beach fires, beach combing, camera adventures, indoor games, laughter, love, and those healthy negative ions; thanks for the poetic prep.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the poetic comments Glenn ~ And Happy special day to your wife ~ May she find the sea invigorating, filling her life with many more adventures ~
ReplyDeleteThis is,indeed, amazing. I was at the ocean last week and this recalls all the wonderful sensory experiences it brings...the scents, the touch of ocean breeze and the waves crashing on the shore. There is so much healing in such a place. And to think, I used to live there (but it was so expensive)!
ReplyDeleteoh this poem make me long for the sea.. the salt autumn breeze filling my lungs.. I grew up by the sea.. but Stockholm sea is just brackish.. your words brought me back to the west-coast...
ReplyDeletethe fog rolled in last night and capped the sky like a circus tent. out there laps the ocean, with her implacable might, waiting... I especially like the last 3 couplets, Grace ~
ReplyDeleteIf only fears could be so easily disposed of; it takes a lot of love to overcome them.
ReplyDeletea graceful dance of words. this reads like a love poem to self. Wonderful work.
ReplyDeleteHow can you tell the dancer from the dance... really a wonderful read. >KB
ReplyDeleteGreat ending line, Grace. It really summarized the meaning of the poem for me & left me feeling fulfilled.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful imagery... and filled with positive energy. Very well-written. :-)
ReplyDelete-HA
Luck and love - great combination! ♥
ReplyDeleteI love the ocean..I love this poem filled with beautiful images. Gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteThis is just fabulous... I love the key turning, the seeds, those ending lines. A new favorite from you as well!
ReplyDeleteI promise to remember this, especially in the moments where I feel lost! This painting is wonderful. I can just feel the wind! It appears so strong that it could nearly knock her over.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful touches throughout. The stanza shape works very well, gives a sense of flying through the poem.
ReplyDeleteThe sea is so healing. I liked this.
ReplyDelete=)
Sometimes all it takes is for one to surrender to the great currents that will have their way with us anyway, and, like magic, our powers are magnified...I hope I haven't overstepped the interpretation, Grace. This is a marvelous lyric work--one of my favorite of yours.
ReplyDeleteSteve K
Oh--"Luck and love everywhere" wonderful, wonderful--I imagine the floating at the mirror--a tai chi moment that releases the chi and therefore the mind to make the rest possible. I emailed you too.
ReplyDeleteBody surfing and coming full circle - I don't know why, but these are the thought that came to mind.
ReplyDeleteHi Grace,
ReplyDeleteMy favorite part as it feels so freeing...
Extending your hands, you float
like lilies on pond, free of tangles & dead weights
I felt as thought I was a beautiful bird in this poem. Lovely.
ReplyDelete(http://penpaperpad.com))
Beautifully expressed with a wonderful twist.
ReplyDeletelove the line about the moon rising. Gorgeous imagery.
ReplyDeleteIt feels like a dive into the water on a hot day...and you come up to the surface with an ah...lovely feeling to this one!
ReplyDeleteVery nice! Wonderful imagery! :-)
ReplyDeleteNature and humans entwined:)
ReplyDeleteThe sea is an experience like no other! It's mysterious, refreshing and alive. Throw in the human element and it's complete! Nicely Grace!
ReplyDeleteHank
I am entirely in love with this poem.
ReplyDeleteEverywhere you turn is luck
ReplyDelete& love rooting & ripening, like it has never left -
I love the positive end to this. Beautiful :)
This was the perfect gift for me to read today. Absolutely love it, a favorite.
ReplyDeleteGrace you transported me to the ocean and removed me from this dreary day in Melbourne of cold and grey. The human element intertwined with nature and the closing lines beautiful ~ Happy day to you. x
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the sea atmosphere of your poem Grace. And the last couplet is just perfect!
ReplyDeleteThe imagery is so intense and beautiful, felt as though I were there by the sea. Lovely Grace!
ReplyDeleteYa know..I think more people should bend there spines to the sky..or even to the ground and walk in reverse..as the fuller way of life..goes both ways...
ReplyDeleteI do IT naturally all the time now and I"m not even sure why...other than IT makes me more peaceful and content to be standing still..too...
For me it reads that she found hope when she turned to the ocean. Then again, that could be because I always do. Beautifully written, Grace. As always, thank you! Enjoy your weekend!
ReplyDeleteI'm in love with this first couplet:
ReplyDeleteDarkness lifts from your shoulders
for once, imagine standing by sea
Would you mind if I stole it as a prompt for my workshop?
Thanks for the compliment ~ by all means use it :-)
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