Dark blue ripples
Blustering forward,
Bubble to cresting foam
Lead to grainy gray
Dusted with cracks
Of color
Coral and white.
Footprints indent
Moving surface
Leaving a single message.
“I was here.”
But wind whistles forward,
Powerfully unseen.
Sweeps across
The specks of sand
Carelessly
Wipes it clean.
Perversely, it whispers,
“Were you?”
Today was the rehearsal for my friend’s wedding. I sat on a bench on the beach waiting for the rest of the wedding party to arrive. I contemplated how beautiful nature could be as I watched the waves roll in. As I noticed the shoe and footprints in the sand, I started thinking about the marks we leave and the raw power nature has…and the above poem was born.
Living in Florida, people assume we get to enjoy the beach all the time. Nothing could be further from the truth. We usually have jobs and get too busy to enjoy the natural beauty around us. In fact, it’s been about 5 years since I’d been to the beach. While we rehearsed, I got to enjoy one of nature’s most beautiful gifts. A Florida sunset. I need to get to the beach more often. It inspires and rejuvenates.
Hope you enjoy my sunset…
theinnerwildkat 
That’s a beautiful poem!
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Thanks!
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Beautiful, Kitt, and whimiscally thought. This is especially vivid for me as I was just at the beach several days ago with my husband. We watched the sun rise, strolled on the sand, then later watched the surf roll in at night. The eastern seacoast has always been my second home but it’s about 4 hours away. Odd that you say you haven’t been to the beach in 5 years and yet I am there at least twice a year even though for me it’s a distance to drive. Strange how when something is in your own back yard, you view it differently than those who travel for miles to see it.
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Thank you! I usually attribute whimsy to you. 🙂 And you’re right, it’s funny how perspectives can vary. Glad you enjoyed it!
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I LOVE the allusion to footprints disappearing on the sand and the permanent mark we wish to leave behind– especially on a day as important as a wedding. Thanks for the sharing these beautiful words!
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Thanks! I’m so glad you caught that. It was exactly what I was thinking when I wrote it. 🙂
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Lovely.
I love the beach, especially at twilight. Can’t remember the last sunset I’ve watched.
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Yeah…the beauty of it was a reminder to me to stop and smell the roses. Sometimes the most beautiful things don’t cost a thing. And we are too busy to notice. I am working on changing that.
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That is a terrific poem. Nicely done post.
We live 10 mins. from the beach and don’t get there near as much as people would think.
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Thanks. I had a feeling you would understand. 🙂
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I like the poem, I also like the way you gave a little background
to the writing of the poem, I do that myself at times.
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Thank you…both for reading and taking the time to comment.
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Your welcome.
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beautiful pics and poem 🙂
an award for you – http://betweenpoles.wordpress.com/2012/09/30/the-thought-counts/
hope you haven’t got it before.
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Thanks you so much. And thank you for the award!
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welcome 🙂
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