Seaside Solace

Perhaps it’s just my season of life, but another friend lost his father this past week. Seems to be a lot of that happening in my extended sphere of acquaintance. Perhaps the loss of my own father nine months ago makes me more aware of such happenings or folks just seem eager to share the news with me since they know how well I can relate. Either way, we all have corners of grief in our lives ... from the loss of loved ones, from relationship problems, from all sorts of things. While life does go on, and it behooves us to do so as well, sometimes we need to take a little space and time in order to work through the intricacies of a loss. Each of us does so in a different way, and at varying paces, and I believe that one of the secrets to a happy life is learning how to deal fully with the sad parts of that life and grow through them. If you’ve read this site more than a few times, you have probably learned a few things about me. One would be that I use my writing to work through the difficult issues in life, including grief. It gives me an outlet to explore my feelings thoroughly, as well as share them with others. Somehow, the process of rethinking life and crafting it into poetry helps me to reach closure on a great many ethical, spiritual and emotional conundrums. You may also have noticed that I feel an unusual kinship with the sea which entwines, metaphorically, with many other parts of my life. Those points made, it probably comes as no surprise that the ocean would play some part in comforting my weary heart through a time of grief. We all develop places of refuge in our lives where we tend to flee when we are pensive. I am fond of the ocean. Some folks take a drive or a walk or simply flop in a favorite chair. These can be valuable tools in dealing with grief because they provide safe havens of comfort and security. So today I offer the following poem with a prayer that you may find such places of refuge in your own life to aid in the healing process. If you know someone who may benefit from these thoughts, please feel free to pass them on.

Seaside Solace
I brought my grief-stricken heart to the ocean
Back to my favorite of places once more
Carried it down to the water’s edge
And laid it gently upon the shore
To let the cool, cleansing sea
Begin to dissolve the plaque of despair
While the ageless motion of the waves
Washed away the silt of care
Letting the music of the surf
Flow through the deepest parts of me
Until solace ebbed within my heart
And sorrow drifted out to sea
By Frank Carpenter ©