Vero Beach, Florida
It is free to cherish the sea.
The mirror of love between
waves and sky,
between you and me.
Our egos distracted
by the shushing rumors,
blush of sunburnt skin,
tan of driftwood
all surviving salt and sun,
the sharper image.
Our souls are indomitable salvage
in the ocean’s endless lineage.
Crests slap thighs,
discretely fondle each evening’s rise.
Oh tide,
we yearn for the richest intimacies
of your highness’ surprise,
to guard the washed up secrets we so prize.
Innumerable cycles of rollers
combat the shore,
without pity or remorse.
Sovereign sea,
carry the carnage of each day away
into the eternal light of
blue implacability.
©2023 | K. Hartless
GloPoWriMo #6 Take a look around Poetry International for a poem in a language you don’t know. Now, read the poem to yourself, thinking about the sound and shape of the words, and the degree to which they remind you of words in your own language. Use those correspondences as the basis for a new poem.
Here is the inspiration for today’s poem:
L’Homme et la mer
Homme libre, toujours tu chériras la mer!
La mer est ton miroir; tu contemples ton âme
Dans le déroulement infini de sa lame,
Et ton esprit n’est pas un gouffre moins amer.
Tu te plais à plonger au sein de ton image;
Tu l’embrasses des yeux et des bras, et ton coeur
Se distrait quelquefois de sa propre rumeur
Au bruit de cette plainte indomptable et sauvage.
Vous êtes tous les deux ténébreux et discrets:
Homme, nul n’a sondé le fond de tes abîmes;
Ô mer, nul ne connaît tes richesses intimes,
Tant vous êtes jaloux de garder vos secrets!
Et cependant voilà des siècles innombrables
Que vous vous combattez sans pitié ni remords,
Tellement vous aimez le carnage et la mort,
Ô lutteurs éternels, ô frères implacables!
— Charles Baudelaire
Yard Sale of Thoughts 
Wonderful vivid descriptions, K! 🙂 Especially
‘Innumerable cycles of rollers
combat the shore,
without pity or remorse.’
Really enjoyed this! ❤
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Thank you. I don’t speak French but I found my own voice through Baudelaire’s words. 💜
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Loved your personal take on it here 😀
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Thank you. Oh, the swivel of the sea. I miss her silhouette already. Happy Easter, Tom.
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I really enjoyed your poem K., and La Mer is a perfect addition!
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Many thanks, Michele.
I’m at the shore soaking in a few early rays for spring break.
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My pleasure! Delighted to learn that. I thought you might be. Enjoy your well-deserved break and Happy Easter! 🌅
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serene
must b a ya scene
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Ahhh, I was just thinking of scheduling a trip to the coast soon. You are helping me in this endeavor with this lovely write, K. 💜
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I do hope you can make it. Restorative for me. I may have to reconsider my location. For a happily ever after. 💜
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Me too. I will look at places tomorrow for later this month, early May. I totally understand, and feel similarly. 💜
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I think I responded to this comment midair, and it looks like it didn’t go through. I hope you find your way to the shore again soon. Happy Easter, Jeff. 🐥💐
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