The Sea
A letter from the Home Counties
I do not love the sea,
humankind lives
by breathing air.
The oceans are deep,
we do not belong there,
engulfed in its depths we die.
Why are these waters so wide and deep?
The constant hills and valleys suit me best,
or even calm of Eastern fens
so long as they are safe
from seas that make me feel oppressed.
But to visit shores from far away
from time to time can be consoling.
Standing on the sands and watching
tides arrive and then recede
in waves that powerfully ride
in never ending ebb and flow,
tracing endless lacings on the beach,
can bring refreshment with the tide.
And so renewed I can return
to green interior places
where life sings to a different tune,
looking forward
to the next salt-scented stay,
drawn to where cliffs stand and gulls cry,
seaside charm lures once again,
and with the blue
can send blue thoughts away.