It’s curious how some of us are coconuts.
Seeds drifting for decades in a desert
That holds nothing for us, except waves
And more waves, and storms we survive
Only because our shells are thick and hard.
Inside we may be milk and fruit,
But to the waves, to the sharks, and sea snakes
We are walls, unappetizing walls.
We’re well protected, it’s true,
But we’re not alive either. Not really.
Only in name — and this can go on
For decades, even decades without living.
Then we beach! Most of us never do.
A shoot grows from us, reaches for sunlight,
Turns green with youth, with beauty, with dreams.
Though we might be old, very old, when that happens.
Another shoot grows from us, too.
Grows down deep where fresh waters pool,
Waiting to renew our souls.
Curious how when we at last come alive
The first thing we do is break out of our shells,
Make ourselves open and vulnerable.
Until the moment we beached
We were passive; our wisdom, just DNA and chance,
Though we told ourselves we were captains
Of great ships shaping their own destiny.
But only later on the beach are we alive.
Only on the beach do we flourish.
But I have a few questions now…
How did we know without any experience
We were at last on the beach?
Why did we never try
To put down roots in the sea?
Or did some of us try,
And they were those who never
Made it ashore?
Paul that was a wonderfully symbolic poem! I love the image of us being coconuts and our hard shells being our barriers. That really was a nice poem! In my mind it was very colourful, light blue seas, very sunny, and the beach utopic. When we do break our shells, either we drown in an unforgiving environment, or in a nurturing environment, like the beach. I see these environments and friends and family.
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Beat it, Teresums! There’s no sand in my soul for your friendship to take root in!
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Can’t get rid of me no matter how much you try! 😛
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😀
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This is on a more hopeful note (or is it?). But in both the poems you talk about walls, barricades. Perhaps people fear hurt so much they would rather not be vulnerable.
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I see this one as more hopeful.
I think you’re right people erect walls, barriers out of fear. But to me, the irony is they will suffer for it, and greatly. In fact, I think they actually more or longer with their barriers barring them from love than they would suffer without those barriers barring them from a relatively lesser pain.
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Yes, it is truly ironical. By the time they realise their mistake it is too late.
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That’s certainly true for most of them.
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It’s a very unique talent – to be able to write a story with an open ending or a question to the reader. It always makes me feel as if we’re part of the story and are having an actual interaction with the author. This was a beautiful piece – the symbolism, the style, the wonder and the mystery. Loved it! 🙂
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Thank you for the compliments and encouragement. It’s good to see you. I’ve noticed you on other sites. I hope you’ll drop by often.
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I’m glad to hear that! I do enjoy your writing so of course I’ll be dropping by quite a lot. 🙂
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🙂
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I liked this one; this was a nice metaphor.
Until the moment we beached
We were passive; our wisdom, just DNA and chance,
Though we told ourselves we were captains
Of great ships shaping their own destiny.
I wonder how much of us coming alive on the beach is also just DNA and chance?
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Perhaps all of it in a way. But then I had in mind that once we do come alive, we might become self guiding.
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Maybe. But I feel like there might be something a little bit dangerous about taking credit for one’s own personal growth.
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Sure. But I don’t think there’s much danger in merely recognizing the causes of it.
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