The Sea And Me

 Ten thousand faces awash upon a rolling sea

With simple dreams bereft, and longings unseen.

Small children cavort at the edge of sand and surf

As young lovers abort their secret rendezvous without a word.

 I watch from a distance and observe the unfolding scene

I stand anonymous on this bubble of so many dreams.

 I taste of its essence; I succumb to the sound of the oceans roar.

I had longed for early escape, yet I merely opened another door.

 So, I watch, I wait, and I digest the utterance of the ending day,

And what I see quickly takes my breath away,

for high upon a sandy windswept hill,

stood an old man taking in the receding days fill.

I watched as he lowered his head in a long exasperating sigh

And I cringed as he raised his hand to the sea and waved goodbye.

 Was this his end? Had he said his final amen?

And what vision was it he had seen across the open sea?

And why, when he turned to walk away….

why did he look so much like me?

J. Allen Wilson © 2005