The Ocean and Me / Wash /
New Horizons

The Ocean and Me: Christie Charles

I love swimming in the ocean, and floating without motion

I love the smell of the ocean’s salt because it connects me to my family and reminds me of their love

Even while I swim alone, for a moment I feel as though I am at home

 I imagine them swimming on their own with me and the ocean somewhere far away

In the ocean, the world seems to be peaceful for a change

In the ocean, there are no wars or prejudice

In the ocean, the world is–for once– silent, there is no sound of life or interaction

As I stare up at the big blue sky where I can get lost in my seemingly endless ruminations

As I swim, I watch my hands as they glide through the cold water, just to propel me even farther 

Farther still, deeper into the ocean, deeper into my thoughts

I don’t question how far I can go, because I know that I’ll always be able to go further

I know that as long as I’m in the ocean, the ocean is in me and all my worries are forgotten 

I close my eyes as I swim, and I listen  

I listen to the worries in my mind quiet, and soon come to a stop

Now all I hear is the sounds of the ocean, now I only see the sea

Now I can float in peace and tranquility

In the ocean, there is no such thing as loneliness, just solitude

Loneliness is a circumstance whilst solitude is a choice

Loneliness is a sickness of the soul, while solitude nourishes the soul to a state of dazzling pulchritude

Loneliness gives a face to pain and fear a voice 

Solitude gives a face to nature’s beauty and a voice to self-actualization coalesced with amour propre 

In the ocean, I find who I am, who I was, and also who I can be 

I learn what it feels like to be perfectly me, while in a space that is judgment free

As I float adrift

As I swim 

As I feel the cool caress of gentle waves and as I shift the water while I swim with intention

As I swim, I can feel when the ocean tells me it’s time to go back to shore

I open my eyes and watch my fingertips move underwater pushing me back to land

As I near the beach, I begin to smell the impurities of the polluted air, and I begin to hear the chaos of nearby traffic

The worries in my head begin to speak up, just to be partially ignored as I stand in the shallow water of the beach

As I plod to shoreline, I see a beautiful seashell wash up beside me and I smile to myself

This is the ocean’s promise that we will be alone together again soon

And from this promise, I relish in the faint scent of the salty ocean water and the sound of the waves as I leave the beach