From Here You Can See The Waves Poem by Les Derbyshire

From here you can see the slow, measured tumble of the waves
Rise, swell, surge toward the pebbles of the beach.
Born of the ebbing, flowing, restless sea,
Nurtured by the tireless winds,
Offspring of the wild Atlantic,
Destined to play here on this distant shore.
Why does the sea draw me back to this place?
What makes me sit here among the dunes, to watch and watch
Compelled, hypnotised by the rhythm of the waves?
Bottle-green glass valley, deep and slow,
Stare into the deep and wonder
What mystery is there.
What life and death lie hidden
What tears and laughter and joy and sorrow…
Ah, such a tale the sea would tell if we would only listen,
Such a tale – if we could only hear.
See now how the flood rises
Wind-driven white
Climbs the steep slope
Driven ever upward in its urge
To leave behind the valley of the shadow
Rides the watery wall, reaches toward the light
Until, fast-flying, it reaches out and dips and curls and tumbles
Scatters its rich-jewelled crown upon the waiting shore
Shouts and laughs and plays among the pebbles!
See how it sparkles in the sun.
As it runs back through the stones
Listen as it calls to the shore
A last farewell.
Returns
To the wild Atlantic swell.

And I shall return again and again
To sit and wonder at the tumbling, beguiling sea.


(© Les Derbyshire February 2009)