The Water Child

Written during a vacation/holiday to Portugal in 2017, this poem describes a welcome moment of serenity for the writer.

For a man of no God,

I find holiness in the sea;

To dive in is my baptismal,

Removing me of sin and scars.

I give to my mother-sea

My broken, brittle, shaken soul,

To emerge reborn, with hope renewed

For what I can bring ashore.

My ancient goddess, in all her wisdom,

Neither forgives, nor lets me forget,

But merely allows me to breathe

Easily, for peace has followed the storm.

As the waves break and cleanse,

I breathe in their sea mist,

Like incense, and close my eyes

Before turning towards the shore

Where he waits for me,

Ready to dry my sun-kissed skin,

But not before my fair godmother

Waves to me, an Atlantic goodbye.

Praia dos Salgados, Portugal

18th October, 2017

Reviews

[Cherrie Palmer]

I love the sea, and your poem about