The Search Poem by john tiong chunghoo

he asked why i wrote
so many sea poems
and i immediately told
him i am still searching -
my desire like waves
sweep onto shore -
for that bright shell that
would reveal the patterns
of my poetic thoughts

what is your poetic thought?
he asked and i told him it
would be the vastness of sea
with that one shell that holds
the fascination of a whole
creation

he asked how that shell is?
and i told him i am still
searcing for it in the sea of my thoughts.