Ocean Stranger

Posted bywordsandcoffee1Posted inPoetry, W3 PromptsTags:, , , , , , , , , , 
Ocean, you rippling stranger,
carrying unknown danger to a land-locked wanderer like me.
I could stare for hours in wonder at your hypnotic waves, skipping rocks across the smooth surface,
investigating the mysteries left behind at low tide, plunging headfirst in abandon into seaweed, nearly caressing the curves of painted coral, dripping footprints on shell-crumbled sands, and dozing on your shores under whispering palm fronds.

I wrote this poem for the Wea’ve Written Weekly prompt at the Skeptic’s Kaddish. It’s the 100th W3 prompt! Many thanks to David for this wonderful weekly poetic journey. Suzanne kindly provided the prompt for us this week, which is as follows:

  • Theme: Last week many of us were strangers to Wagner, so this week’s theme is ‘Stranger’;
  • Form: Please take us on an introspective free verse journey;
My husband and boys admiring the sunset over the Atlantic. My husband still claims the Pacific is the best ocean (he is a bit biased as a Filipino), but any ocean sunset is worth the wait in my book.
Cheesing it up with my beautiful friend Bree and her lovely stepsister Hannah, whose three daughters joined my three boys in the wedding procession.

My husband and I (really, the kids, too) are helpless ocean-lovers. We’re landlocked in Wisconsin (well, unless you count the Great Lakes and Mississippi River that surround us; we are blessed with bountiful freshwater adventures within reach). Recently, we had the opportunity to visit the Florida Keys for the first time (well, my first time and the first time for the kids; my husband had traveled there years ago with his parents as a kid on a camping trip). We were there for my dear college friend’s wedding. The kids and I were also a part of the wedding party, which ensured we would be there, not that we would pass up a trip to the ocean! It was a nontraditional wedding, so, alongside my friend’s stepsister’s daughters, our boys were in charge of leading the wedding party down the aisle with, not flowers, but with buckets of beer, which they proceeded to hand out to all the guests. We were on a sheltered, grassy area near the beach, and it was the first beach wedding I’d ever attended. The weather and view were absolutely stunning, and I was so grateful to be there to support my friend Bree, who has been there for me through thick and thin for nearly eighteen years!

My oldest enjoying the ocean sunset with me.

We spent a few extra days down in the Keys, and highlights included a special marine mammal center visit, (where my oldest got to interact with an adorable sea lion rescue named Malibu), delicious key lime pie in multiple forms (chocolate covered on a stick?!), authentic Cuban cafe con leche, and a few spectacular ocean sunsets. The place we stayed was close to the beach and had two swimming pools; the kids were overjoyed. I also basked in the feeling of not checking my email or doing anything work-related for five days straight, simply living in the moment and enjoying little adventures with my family, the way things are meant to be. Even if I am a stranger to the ocean, we quickly become best friends at every reunion. ❤️

24 thoughts on “Ocean Stranger”

  3. Oh the mysteries of the ocean and its changeability, it’s hypnotic effect perfect for transporting thoughts, the stranger becomes the friend, lovely. Beautiful poem, great pics and what a wonderful wedding and a lovely break at the Keys

    💞Suzanne

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