The Ocean

Inspired by the words of poetrysoup poet Vijay Pandit "I think I know why the ocean flows"-From her poem: I think I know why the ocean flows. The ocean's flow. "I think I know why the ocean flows" (Vijay Pandit) A wise old woman once said to me as we gazed out upon the moonlit sea together. "Imagine if you were being pushed & pulled at the whim of Grandmother moon. Imagine being twisted and turned as if you were bread dough being kneaded by Mother Nature Herself and all the while being ever powerful in your own right." She explained how the ocean, in a single drop can be brushed away like a teardrop upon the cheek of the earth by the fingertip of mankind; but in an accumulated amount it has the ability to move mountains, and to create vast valleys It allows us to travel upon it, enjoy its beautiful beaches all over the world, and then feeds us with its abundance. It has the power to wipe out cities with tsunamis and floods; or can aid in the growth of plant life that is vital to our very survival. The Ocean is so powerful that it can coerce even the most destructive volcanic lava into cooling, creating beautiful islands, and holding within it a whole other world teeming with life, so vast that much of it is still yet to be discovered. It possesses all of this power but is it truly free? I wonder, does each drop feel lonely and weak on its hydrological journey, and then as it falls from the sky? Or is it content in the knowledge of its forthcoming oceanic reunion? That inevitable merging together of each tiny drop that ultimately transforms it back into the ever powerful ocean. Day after day, Grandmother Moon moves consistently through her phases. Growing, new to full then shrinking back to anew. Waxing and waning, constantly rotating and orbiting in perfect rhythm with the ebb and flow of the tides. Dancing together, flawlessly, as they have since the beginning of time in precise synchronization. Some out there may call me crazy, Im sure I'm little bit odd, at the very least. But as I gaze upon the oceans waves, I can almost feel the pull. That wise old woman made me see things differently and it helped me understand So much throughout my lifetime. So today, I'm passing this wisdom on to you, as that wise old woman once did for me. "I think I know why the ocean flows......" -Mary Taylor 4/14/2020