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Transcendence

Without fuss the sand
                 castle greets the flood tide   his
       reality changed;
                        the trade of  ebb  for the flow 
                                          as he lets go of the beach


Susan Ashley
November 2, 2021

Copyright © Susan Ashley | Year Posted 2021

beachdeathdestinyfatherlifetanka

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May 19, 2022 at 10:32 AM

A metaphorical Tanka which goes beyond what life on Earth means to some, Susan. Our "apparent" reality can change at any given moment when the "flood tide" makes its presence felt. Blessed are those who are able to adjust and let go in the knowledge of what lies in store. ~ Warm regards and hugs my friend // paul

May 31, 2022 at 10:55 AM

Dearest Paul, indeed your heartfelt comments resonate with the beauty of wisdom and truth. Your thoughts are rich and meaningful and precious to me. Living on the coast, my beloved father enjoyed a life-long love of the beach and the ocean. It was as much a part of him as the blood in his veins. We spent many wonderful times together by the ocean. There is an abundance of comfort found in the embrace of faith and it is a blessing when one can adjust as the "flood tide" eventually overtakes the sand castle.. my father had the security of his faith and experienced a peaceful passing when he was ready to let go of the beach. Warmest wishes and hugs, my inspiring friend.. ~Susan

January 30, 2022 at 12:14 PM

Much to ponder and much to admire in your wonderful words Susan. The sandcastle letting go then existing beyond its original form and limits represents the enduring human spirit to me Cheers- Gary edit: I've just read your explanation Susan..great work!

March 12, 2022 at 7:10 AM

Dear Gary, please accept my apologies for my late reply to your breathtaking thoughts. Life's commitments have kept me away from PS since the Holidays. Thank you, for sharing in the emotions of this very special poem with me. Your presence fills me with gratitude and your keen insight is cherished. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Brian Sambourne

January 16, 2022 at 8:20 PM

Remarkable Tanka. Our lives, indeed, ebb and flow + sometimes our castles are washed away by the tide. Your short piece is a feast of thought + reflection. Be well dear lady. Brian

March 11, 2022 at 6:47 PM

Dear Brian, your beautiful comments are filled with insight and are held in my truest appreciation. It is always such a joy to receive your precious thoughts. Thank you, my dear friend. Please accept my apologies for my late reply, personal commitments have kept me busy since the holidays and away from PS and wonderful friends like you. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Connie Marcum Wong

January 6, 2022 at 1:27 PM

This beautiful piece reminds me of the teachings of Buddha and would be a perfect example of impermanence. I loved your tanka Susan. I did not know of the loss of your father until just now. Please accept my sincerest sympathies. New year blessings xxoo

January 7, 2022 at 5:40 PM

Dear Connie, I am ever inspired by your lovely presence and insightful comments. The beauty of your empathy is held in my deepest appreciation, thank you for your condolences. I know your loving heart is heavy with mourning too, my friend. Indeed, my beloved father died on June 10, 2021. He was a great father, man and friend and we miss him terribly. We were lucky to have a "dream team" for parents and when our beloved mother died (far too soon), our father, being the incredible father that he was, filled the void for us and we cherished him even more. We had him for another 18 years after my beloved mom's passing and for that we will be forever grateful. Warmest wishes to you and yours for a happy new year filled with light, love and inspiration, sweet poetess.. ~Susan

November 30, 2021 at 4:00 PM

So short, yet so deep Susan. I loved the line, "the trade, of ebb for the flow ". Life gives and takes and those that remain are blessed. Thanks for sharing, Bill

December 4, 2021 at 1:52 PM

Dear Bill, your beautiful comments are received with gratitude and are treasured. Thank you for your gracious visit and for sharing your precious thoughts. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

November 29, 2021 at 8:14 PM

"Far, far better to cling to sweeter love and life. Than to succumb to aching sorrows and let go. Alas! Turbulent world wields a razor sharp knife. And in its stormy wake down the six many go." Your brilliant poem inspired that little spontaneous burst my friend. A fav, a true gem! God bless...

December 4, 2021 at 1:49 PM

My dear friend, it is indeed a pleasure to know that I inspire you as wonderfully as you inspire me. Inspiration is an even more beautiful gift when shared. Thank you for the honor of your fav, and for your precious thoughts, Robert, they beam with radiance from your poetic heart. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

November 28, 2021 at 6:38 PM

Dearest Rhyme Time friend, this truly transcends life transformed and reformed in a heavenly diminsion. The metaphor of the sand castle, where a life glows in its ornate glory, comes from the brillance of your poetic soul! Profound in brevity! Congratulations on its place in the best new poems. Know I hold you and your grief close to my heart. I know you are missing your dad especially at the holidays. Blessigs of comfort on wings of grace that hopefully will transcend your sadness.

December 4, 2021 at 1:41 PM

My Dearest Rhyme Time friend, thank you, that you hold me and my grief close to your heart is such a blessing and a comfort. The beauty of your empathy shines from your radiant heart and the golden embrace of your friendship is treasured within my grateful heart. Your beautiful comments capture the essence of the sand castle, as the sand castle embraces the present moment.. so did my dad! Such was the enjoyment of being with him in life, he was always in the present, living it with gusto.. but not afraid to let go, when the time came. Warmest wishes sail the high tide over rocky shoals to hug you.. ~Susan

Unseeking Seeker

November 16, 2021 at 10:24 PM

Brilliancy in brevity!

November 21, 2021 at 2:40 PM

Dear Seeker, your beautiful comment fills me with gratitude. Thank you, my friend. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

November 15, 2021 at 8:25 PM

Susan, I would label you a Transcendentalist after this one --- if I knew what it meant. Sand castles ebbing into the tide are transcendent enough for me. ~ Bucket & Pale

November 21, 2021 at 5:51 PM

Dearest Bucket and Pale.. lol!, you are a ray of sunshine :) Thank you for your wonderful presence. You brighten my day so much I need sunglasses and a parasol too :)) Warmest wishes for a happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.. ~Susan

Anitha Jayasankar

November 11, 2021 at 3:00 AM

I agree with Jenni below...What an amazing title you have given for this exquisite beautiful write dear Susan...be it a short poem or a lengthy descriptive one, you express your thoughts so well that your readers are mesmerized every time they read your thought provoking verses..."the trade...of ebb for the flow"...how well penned...Hugs...~ Ani

November 21, 2021 at 2:46 PM

Dearest Ani, my poem shines in your radiant presence. Please accept my apologies for my late reply to your breathtaking thoughts. Thank you, for sharing in the emotions of this special poem with me. My heart is warmed by the gratitude that fills it.. your friendship, Ani, is cherished. Warmest wishes and hugs sent to you.. ~Susan

November 8, 2021 at 1:02 PM

This is excellent Susan. Very creative. I love it :)

November 8, 2021 at 6:34 PM

Thank you, Heidi. Your wonderful comments are truly appreciated. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Jennifer Proxenos

November 8, 2021 at 2:25 AM

What a perfect title for such a tender write - a tearful goodbye and acceptance from you both. Love and hugs my dear sis, you are in my thoughts always. Jennifer.

November 8, 2021 at 6:32 PM

My dearest Jennifer, indeed an acceptance, a tearful one for me, but my father, who always had such a will to live was wonderfully accepting in his final months, he was graceful till the end. That gave us strength. He knew where he was going, to Heaven to be with my mom, and he was ready. He didn't hold back when his time came. We were happy for him but we grieve in our missing him. He was a man who embodied love, a very rare kind of person, we are so grateful he was our dad. Oh, here come the tears.. and that’s ok :) The beauty of your empathy moves me and is treasured, sweet friend. Warmest wishes, love and hugs.. ~Susan

November 7, 2021 at 5:03 PM

Brought me to tears…I am, perhaps, less accepting of this metaphorical penning of life? I tell people that I am now living “on extended warranty,” awaiting “the low” as you say. I do long to be with God, but life is beautiful, .Ike sandcastles, just as you painted it here…Thank you. A Fav.

November 7, 2021 at 5:23 PM

Dear Sally, thank you for sharing in the emotions of this poem with me, and also, for sharing your amazing heart with me. This poem was inspired by the recent passing of my beloved father. Indeed, mortal life can be beautiful but fleeting.. like the sandcastle on the beach, we all will meet our wave someday. I believe that when our physical being ebbs, our spirit flows, transcendent and ascendant, so long as we're not afraid to let go of shifting sands and be with God. Life is transient but eternal life is everlasting. Your comments move me very deeply, my friend, as does the honor of your fav. Warmest wishes and hugs.. ~Susan

November 7, 2021 at 4:33 AM

Deep and powerful... Wonderful imagery.... Very well penned Susan. Blessings!

November 7, 2021 at 5:08 PM

My dear friend, Paghunda, thank you. I am delighted to have your kind presence grace my poem's page. Your uplifting comments are gratefully received. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

November 4, 2021 at 12:26 PM

Powerful brilliant words from your heart Susan . The emotions stirred are many . So much to hold on to and also the freedom of letting go and the flow of change . I love your words and heart dear friend . Continue to shine your light always. Love and hugs, Susan :)

November 6, 2021 at 7:07 PM

Dear Susan, your precious presence in so very uplifting. I am grateful for the privilege to call you friend, yet it feels like I've possibly experienced this privilege in another time and space. Thank you for feeling the spirit of my poem. I adore your soulful essence and generous heart, my inspiring friend. Warmest wishes, love and hugs to you.. ~Susan

November 4, 2021 at 10:52 AM

Susan, such a deep Tanka, eloquently expressing inequality. Sand castles are fragile and can't withstand the ocean tide, just as humans are weakened and can't cope with life changes. This has been added to my list of favorites. Susan

November 6, 2021 at 6:18 PM

My dear friend, Lasaad, your gracious visit and thoughtful comments warm my heart. Thank you for your kind, insightful words and for the honor of my poem being added to your list of favorites. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

November 4, 2021 at 7:42 AM

Thanks for sharing this, making me reflect on life's reality vis-a-vis transformation's essence. Indeed, thanks for sharing your talent. Likewise, thanks so much for your uplifting comments --- so valuable to me. God bless you.

November 6, 2021 at 6:13 PM

Dear Beata, thank you for your heartwarming comments and kind thoughts. It is as much a pleasure to read your pensive remarks as it is the partake in your rich, inspiring poetry. Your gracious visit is appreciated. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

November 2, 2021 at 7:55 PM

The tide as it comes in does make changes to the surface. . It would be nice for a new canvas to work on. But some take change hard. Great imagery, Susan.

November 2, 2021 at 8:10 PM

Dearest Eve, knowing you are an art lover and an oil painter, I understand your embrace of new canvases. Indeed, change is harder for some than others. Your wonderful visit and beautiful comments are treasured, my friend, thank you. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

Michelle Faulkner

November 2, 2021 at 7:30 PM

So simple, yet says so much, it reads to me like accepting the flow of life like the beach relents to the ocean, so wistful and yet also cathartic~

November 2, 2021 at 7:44 PM

Hello, my dear friend.. Life (and death) can be easier when one accepts the inevitability of change. Like the sandcastle on the beach, we are at the whims and mercies of forces far greater than ourselves, but that's not necessarily always a bad thing.. Thank you for your precious comments, Michelle. Your perception is rich and deep, like your amazing poetry. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

November 2, 2021 at 3:26 PM

A very thought provoking tanka Susan full of deep meaning, the ebb and flow of life. Hope your week is going well. Tom

November 2, 2021 at 7:20 PM

Thank you, Tom. Your encouraging comments brighten my evening, my friend. The week is going well and I hope the week is going well for you, too. Your wonderful presence is ever appreciated. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

November 2, 2021 at 11:51 AM

My dearest Rhyme Time friend, the flowing beauty of your words transcends this brilliant metaphor for life, for the inevitable changes in the ebb and flow of life! Your poems always live in multi-layers of profound depth. Wonderful images. The choice of the tides is just wonderful. Sending you a "floodtide" of blessings sweet friend.

November 2, 2021 at 7:15 PM

My dearest Rhyme Time friend, thank you for the lovely "floodtide" of blessings and for your rich, beautiful comments. Your lustrous thoughts are like perfect pearls held in the depths of my appreciation, Sam. You inspire me, your artistry encourages me and your wonderful friendship touches my heart and soul. Thank you so much, my sweet friend. Warmest wishes and hugs riding the high tide to you.. ~Susan

L Milton Hankins

November 2, 2021 at 11:50 AM

Interesting thought and exploration, Susan. I'm sitting here pondering.... Nice work!

November 2, 2021 at 12:03 PM

It is wonderfully pleasing to know my poem has you lingering in a museful mood, Milton. Thank you for your gracious visit and lovely comments, both are truly appreciated. Warmest wishes, my friend.. ~Susan

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