“The Frolicking of Waves and Wind”

Poem of the Day, Friday, November 24, 2023

“The Frolicking of Waves and Wind”

We lose ourselves early mornings,
sauntering along the beach,
just as the sun rises in the east,
a glowing ball of orange sliding
ever so gracefully, up and over
the lip of the world, until full arrival,
breathing a shimmering line
to the beach and beyond.
We stooped to pick up
a few pieces of sea glass,
eyes wandering, searching
up and down the beach,
                          into the water, crawling ever
                                so gracefully up the beach,
                                      infiltrating the sand as it moves
                                          forward, filling holes, depositing
                                               a few things along the way,
                                      and then suddenly receding,
                              somehow reaching its limit of life
                            beyond the sea, ending its stoic dance
early, dragging with it rocks, old shells,
pieces of seaweed, and what it can
before it retreats to the sea.
Sometimes, we stop and stare
at this ritual of sea water,
                             reaching its limits up on the beach,
                                   seeping into every crevice it can
                            and then back out again.
It’s both mesmerizing
and charming, and suddenly,
we are standing still, watching,
our eyes focused on both
the water and the rising sun,
and the moon somewhere hidden,
now a familiar inflection,
yet still a bit foreign
mixed with the playful motions
of wind frolicking in the waves
as they serenade us so early
in the morning on the beach
in a rhythmic cadence
that entrances us, thinking
they know the wooings of the mind.