Each man carries the sea within himself
Waves of emotion striking on the shores
Made of pebbles sand and scraggy rocks
Atoning for sins past
Making happy memories last
Reliving mistakes and good fortunes
Wondering whether the water carries back as many memories than it leaves behind
To each man his sea within
No two waves must be similar
We have both experienced pain my brother only yours is different the timing of the tide
Many a thought passes by
Like seagulls drifting with the wind
Random events recalled so clearly
Moments that seemed to have vanished come back to me all at once
It’s a sense of ennui; of suspended animation
I seem to have lost all recollection of time
As if I am there as it happens once again
At the beginning of a great drama since the start of my time
I have a weary inkling that the sea knows who I am
Its been here longer than I can remember
Maybe it even knew me when I did not know myself as I am now
Perhaps it saw this day was coming
When I would sit by the waves lapping at my feet
With the same meaningless expression of my face
Asking that which is meaningless
Seeking confirmation of my deepest fears and angst
Only dreading to hear the voice of my own inner soul
That which finds reflection
In the waters of my sea
I have much to confess, only how?
My mind seems to fight its own creation
It takes supreme effort and will power
To accept our follies my brothers
That which are our own creations
Created amidst so much chatter and noise
Only to come back and haunt us as eerie memories
Rejoinders from the past that say – you knew what you were doing!
You knew exactly what would happen with the choices you made.
My fate tells me – I was always there with you..
I was there and you knew it.
You took my name when it served your purpose, otherwise I was just an observing spectator in this game you played, no?
Why do you look askance at me when I hold up the mirror in front of you
This is who you are
You were never ugly to me
Nor beautiful
I loved you when you were sick as in health
I loved you when you shed tears of joy and sorrow
I have been your steadfast friend
Even now we sit side by side, contemplating waves
Studying how each sand has a story to tell
…. I wake with a start and I look around for that voice
But its only the waves and the din from the sea
Silent din as the waves make music and the depths provide bass
I am too scared to dive into those murky dark depths
I don’t know what monstrous creations and doings I might find
Waters don’t have color you see, they merely reflect the aspect shown to them
But waters have memories. And they store them. And can retrieve them for the unsuspecting poor fool who goes down the road of self discovery.
I’d rather sit here and enjoy the scenery – warm waves lapping at my feet and a sea of experience spanning as far as eyes see
But there is a sea within myself too I know…
And it is dark and unwelcome to me.
