CayCay Jennings | + Follow Poet |
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Swim the Ocean Depths

Take me where the ocean rolls bigger than the pain in my
soul.  Let me lay upon shore sand and hold its grit in my hand 
while the ocean claims ground again, so sure of where it 
belongs to begin its own fated end.  Let ships on the horizon 
remind me how small I am and how little I understand.

My pain seems so very grand yet it, and my heart bearing it, 
will be gone long before this sand, so small, so mere in tiny 
bits, but more earthly significant than any of me I have to 
give. I have no distinct pain, all I hurt once ached another 
name that millions could easily claim.  

I do not want to feel love's sentiments anymore.  I do not want 
emphatic care blood in my core.  My worn bruises need the
confusing wave cycle to diffuse.  My heart wishes to comply with 
my soul's voice, housed within, as it does whisper of peace should 
I let go and fling the heavy pains my emotions have overlong 
nourished and sustained.  

God, let me tuck my aches inside a shell, please allow them 
to only there dwell.  I promise, I will sail the shell by my own 
hand to swim the ocean depths.  Allow the sea to free my 
stored pain in deep, endless, salty motions that I may be 
free from more tears of lame devotion.

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Susan Ashley Date: 8/9/2025 9:31:00 AM Dear CayCay, your poem is vivid yet tenderly expressed. Beautiful and thought-provoking. I was especially struck by this imagery "God, let me tuck my aches inside a shell, please allow them/to only there dwell." - to distill one's aches to a package small enough to tuck into seashell is profound in its realization that supports the earlier verse of "how small I am and how little I understand" - your poem of passion offers such deep, rich soul baring! Congratulations for your success in Mark's contest. Warmest wishes, my poet friend.. ~Susan Login to Reply CayCay Jennings Date: 8/10/2025 1:11:00 AM I appreciate your Soup presence, and all your comments to me. if you recall his story or not. His life involved living bi-polar and loving him was painful and grand, in fact, grandly painful works for me. I wrote this after a particularly sad incident in his life. I appreciate your analysis, its so good to know I hit 'the' mark. Thank you! Poetry hugs ... CayCay

Valsa George Date: 8/9/2025 2:08:00 AM Dear Cay Cay, back to your highly emotive poem to congratulate you on your podium win in the Marathon Mile 3 Contest Login to Reply CayCay Jennings Date: 8/10/2025 1:11:00 AM Thank you, Valsa! CayCay

I Am Anaya Date: 8/7/2025 1:24:00 PM Back with congratulations on your placement in the marathon! Runners up...with imagery as this so keen and inner strength given, I just know you'll be on the runway CayCay! Login to Reply CayCay Jennings Date: 8/10/2025 1:14:00 AM The runway makes me nervous, every time he posts results its s-l-o-w-l-y that I scroll, afraid to look. I'm not sure why, I do know why, no, not sure, yeah, I am, I get the irrational why of it. Thank you for coming back, most sweet since I never even sent the pizza. Poetry hugs ... CayCay

Sam Kauffman Date: 8/7/2025 10:57:00 AM Congratulations and high fives, CayCay. The depth of your grief and pain is as deep as the deepest ocean. Love the image of the shell as a chrysalis where you heal. All the best. Login to Reply CayCay Jennings Date: 8/10/2025 1:17:00 AM Thanks for coming by, Sam. I enjoyed your enthusiastic congrats and comments. Poetry hugs ... CayCay

Andrea Dietrich Date: 8/6/2025 4:57:00 PM Your empathy really resounds in all these wins you are getting. You are crushing it. Congrats, Caycay. Login to Reply

David Crandall Date: 8/6/2025 4:51:00 PM Great poem - a deep and earnest plea. I think maybe the ocean can be a source of comfort and relief. Login to Reply CayCay Jennings Date: 8/10/2025 1:18:00 AM You came to this poem even though you had to go deep, the ocean and all. Appreciate your presence on the page, truly. Poetry hugs ... CayCay

Mark Toney Date: 8/6/2025 3:59:00 PM CayCay, congratulations on your third-place win on Mile 3 of my 2025 Poetry Marathon Contest. I enjoyed your deeply emotional poem of grief and release. Keep your running shoes on, because Mile 4 has already started. Login to Reply CayCay Jennings Date: 8/10/2025 1:16:00 AM Thank you for all things contest, it has to be a lot. Poetry hugs ... CayCay

Gershon Wolf Date: 4/17/2025 5:59:00 PM The long and the short of this emotional write, CayCay, is that it is very deep. ~ Gershon Login to Reply

I Am Anaya Date: 4/4/2025 11:45:00 AM "Let ships on the horizon remind me how small I am and how little I understand" we are but a tiny speck on a divine engineer's planetary scale. Our place is alongside the healing ocean's, we need to spend more time caring for it while healing ourselves, yes many have pain, but we are all unique souls and yours's heard in your lamenting words. Touching ~ Login to Reply

Jennifer Proxenos Date: 3/27/2025 8:40:00 AM I Absolutely love, how you describe yourself and the ocean as both really are - an expanse of water that goes on forever, and you or I lying by the shore sand - 'How small I am, and how little I understand'. You have such depth that you will one day siwm the ocean depths, the sea will store your pain and give you freedom - from salty tears of lame devotion. Wow Cay Cay your poetic talent you store within you is incredible, I am in awe! Love you Jenny. Login to Reply

Krishnanand Guptar Date: 3/27/2025 8:14:00 AM A very emotional poem flowing fluently from the depth of your heart, so expressive, so truthful. From the start to the end it holds one breath. Wish you the spell of inner strength to bear such pains. Login to Reply

Valsa George Date: 3/27/2025 6:57:00 AM Cay Cay, how emotive this poem is! It is not something felt in the surface, but penetrating deep. The turmoil you feel inside is like the turmoil of the ocean. It may be calm outside, but has whirls and twirls underneath. "God, let me tuck my aches inside a shell, please allow them to only there dwell. I promise, I will sail the shell by my own hand to swim the ocean depths. " What a heart- rending supplication. Very powerful composition. Login to Reply

Andrea Dietrich Date: 3/22/2025 11:40:00 PM Wow, Caycay. You captured the essence of grief so much better than I did. I don't often feel grief. Sadness but not grief. But with your poem, it is made real and we can feel it. Also you had some clever imagery in this one. A fave. Login to Reply

Regina Mcintosh Date: 3/22/2025 10:38:00 PM Sad, mournful, grief.. and so expressive. God bless you always, love, Gina Login to Reply

Tania Kitchin Date: 3/22/2025 4:50:00 PM CayCay, a wonderfully penned emotive poem. The ocean can be a healing place as well as a place of perspective and reflection. I hope your pain and grief subside and you find some relief. Login to Reply

Silent One Date: 3/22/2025 1:15:00 PM Hey CayCay your poem captures a universal feeling of yearning for freedom from emotional pain and a profound connection to nature as a means of healing. It's an exploration of vulnerability, release, and the attempt to make peace with one's inner turmoil through the metaphor of the ocean's endless movements. A wonderful read.. Login to Reply

Kim Rodrigues Date: 3/22/2025 12:58:00 PM Wow! Very cool. Put in a shell. It can be too hard to bear. I am facilitating GriefShare. We share our grief too, as the leaders. Together we grieve and release pain (to the ocean waves) Hugs, sweet one. Login to Reply

Paige Hind Date: 3/22/2025 12:39:00 PM Beautiful - and I could relate to some of this. "be gone long before this sand, so small, so mere in tiny bits, but more earthly significant than any of me I have to give." very deep yet melancholic expression there Login to Reply