Dear Friends,
Like us, I expect, some of you will be beginning to get back into ‘ordinary’ rhythms. Many people will have spent time by the sea at some stage during the last months – others may live near the sea. The attachments today focus on the sea. Just a few different reflections – the sea is so frequently the subject loved by artists, writers, music. We hope you enjoy what we have chosen or maybe you will want to find your own favourites.
The blessing this week is ‘The peace of Christ be with you’ from Heavenly Peace. Let’s pray it for each other but also for all who are involved in education – teachers, students especially those beginning new schools, starting at college or university etc.
With our love & prayer
AT SEA
G. Moon
And I know, when the wind takes away my breath before I breathe
And when its taste is not bitter, but a salty sweet
And my bones rock back and forth careless and naïve,
And the stones slide slowly from underneath my feet
As the breeze strikes pink punches on the peak of each cheek
And when white fringes of the water lap at my toes
And as the seagulls dip and glide, scream and shriek
I know, as the salted air shields me and the whole world slows
And I am sure that the sound of tide pulling back over the stones
And the scent of sea air that lingers in every waft that hits me
Is enough reason to belong, to sink back into my skin and my bones
Is enough to know, without even setting sail that I am already at sea.
A Miracle To Behold
Patricia A Fleming
Seagulls soar above her surf,
The sun reflects and gleams,
While people come from miles around
To stroll upon her beach.
Her touch conveys an icy chill
Through her stinging, foamy spray,
While her thunderous waves rush to the shore,
Then gently roll away.
Her blue horizon meets the sky,
The end cannot be seen
While her salty fragrance fills the air
And floats upon the breeze.
She safely cradles in her arms
The boats that bounce upon her tides
And plays coy with all the surfers
Who beckon for another ride.
She can distract us from our worries.
She can lure and hypnotize.
With the rhythm of her movement
And her beauty in our eyes.
She’s a force that can’t be reckoned with,
A power to revere.
She’s a lovely, sweet seductress
Who we long to settle near.
There are no words that truly tell
The splendor of her face
Or recreate that feeling,
Of such a warm and peaceful place.
The ocean is a lovely gift.
She’s God’s great Masterpiece.
A miracle we can behold
That gives us reason to believe.
“How still,
How strangely still
The water is today,
It is not good
For water
To be so still that way.”
Langston Hughes
Whispering Waves
Waves come crashing to grey sullen shores.
Powerful and strong, it breathes and roars.
Cascading and caressing each grain of sand,
A warm embrace between sea and land.
High above, a seagull soars high.
Wings of purity it spreads to fly.
Battling high against darkened cloud,
In a wind that blows fiercely, flying graceful and proud.
Beneath, the sand is soft and warm.
Sculpted by nature, it’s weathered the storm.
A passionate battle between calmness and rage,
A new chapter’s beginning; don’t turn the last page.
I listen again to the whispering waves,
Music of nature calming and brave.
Its power unknown, its stillness untamed,
Mysterious and magical, a treasure earth claims.
Edel T. Copeland