Sunday, January 20, 2008

People Who Live

People who live by the sea
understand eternity.
They copy the curves of the waves,
their hearts beat with the tides,
& the saltiness of their blood
corresponds with the sea.

They know that the house of flesh
is only a sandcastle
built on the shore,
that skin breaks
under the waves
like sand under the soles
of the first walker on the beach
when the tide recedes.

Each of us walks there once,
watching the bubbles
rise up through the sand
like ascending souls,
tracing the line of the foam,
drawing our index fingers
along the horizon
pointing home.

Erica Jong, Poet

Thanks to Gypsy Girl .

5 comments:

christina said...

Ahh, I love this. Thank you from someone who used to live by the sea. :-)

Di Mackey said...

I almost titled it that ... 'I used to live by the sea'

So, how's Germany ;)

Erin said...

Oh, I may have to steal this.
Thank you from landlocked sea-born sailor.

Miss Kim said...

and that is why my dream is to live by the sea... how beautiful.

Di Mackey said...

Steal away, ww. I borrowed it because I loved it ... it's meant for sharing I think.

Erica Jong is superb and I thought I knew most of her poetry, traveller one, but this one I had never seen and I love it.

Good luck with your dream :)