Best Sea Bird Poems
I
The turbulent, windy sea calls me,
where wild foam waves break on ageless rocks,
crashing unfailing, unfading, where sea birds
are singing from overhead, and great swirls of
whitecaps scream and above the sky is azure,
beyond the breakers.
II
And on a distant beach the sublime
waves cascade along a rocky shore and water
washes over the sand and I am swept away on
a voyage and I am tranquility and peace and lost
in the changeless flow that comes and goes always,
beyond the breakers.
III
Oh, sea waves endless, immortal in
time, crashing on weather-worn craggy cliffs,
rolling around and around, over and over echoing,
and falling back into the sea with a mighty whisper,
again and again, eternally plunging, and rumbling,
beyond the breakers.
IV
This is the sea with its infinite rhythm
of strength and power, boundless the roar of waves,
undulating and tumbling on breakers. I am enthralled,
with the energy, the sea gulls dance, with rollicking
exuberance. I stand on a breaker rock as the sea
washes over me and there is no end- no way to stop it,
beyond the breakers.
V
So, mesmerizing is this awe-inspiring
majestic, beautiful, wild sea, timeless and free, and
forever. Oh, the beckoning sea caressing breakers
created by nature- it stirs me to tears this sea that
goes on beyond the horizon. The long screech of a
sea bird distracts me and I am lost in the moment,
beyond the breakers.
____________________________
February 3, 2017
Poetry/Verse/Beyond The Sea Breakers
Copyright Protected, ID 17-8723-23-0
All Rights Reserved. Written Under Pseudonym.
Submitted to FTI Blog Series 20 - sea
Brian Strand
Podium Place 1
I'll love you like the ocean
I'll love you like the sea
I'll caress you like the salty breeze
Does caress those white-capped crests
I'll embrace you as the breaking waves
Embrace the shore with zest
I'll kiss you like the rising sun
Does kiss the sea at dawn
I'll call you like the sea bird sang
With passion, again and again
I'll raise you like the morning mist
That joins the sea to sky
I'll move you like the pale, round moon
Does move the pounding tide
I'll push you like the summer storm
That brings the sea to life
And even as in you I drown
Never did breathless trepidation feel so right
I'll love you like the ocean
I'll love you like the sea
The tray comes out
I choose my first
I lift the shell to my mouth
Splash! A foamy spray of brine smashes against the rocks, sending arcs of water far onto the shore. I chew a few times, and swallow with the juice. The tide recedes back again.
I wait a moment
Sip my root beer
Eying the plate,
choosing another
I grab the shell
pause with my lips
To the edge of the
Ocean.
Whoosh! A sea bird dives into the surf, scanning for the glints of fish. As it glides beneath the surface, the twisting torrent of waves above pulls it back up. At the last moment it snatches up a stray perch. The salty lump slides down smooth.
Again, I wait.
Another sip.
Two is enough, I think.
Two, unadulterated
tastes of the sea
I cant say I like them
But im glad I tried
Maybe its an acquired taste
Ethel Hurst
1889 – 1918
I saw the town rise up
Like a single blade of grass after a spring rain.
I played a multitude of hop-scotch games
With my best friend Hannah on Penn Street.
And sipped a hundred ice cream sodas in the Mercantile at sunset.
My mother took me to Jacob’s Grocery every Monday
And it was I who picked the plump oranges
From the big rickety crate.
On Saturdays we worked the fields at Strong’s Ranch,
Harvesting the pampas in the walnut fields.
And on Halloween I was the girl in the moon-face costume for five straight years.
When Christmas brought its luminous lights to the town,
Mother dressed me in red with a bell on my bonnet.
And father sang the carols with a guitar and a tambourine.
I graduated from the big high school in 1907
And in celebration,
Rode my bicycle to Bassett
Still in my starched graduation petticoats.
Jesse Forbes,
He being five years younger than I,
Was the love of my brief stay on this earth.
But when he ventured to steal a kiss that day in Black Canyon,
I used my calloused hand to convey my stern disagreement.
But what wild regrets I’ve entertained since Jesse drowned that day.
In the wild currents by Pio Pico’s crumbling Adobe,
His body bobbing like a sea bird
In the punishing plume of that old deep river.
Beyond the muddy banks and the wild flowers,
Jesse Forbes left this life with a surprised frozen grin.
Why Jesse? Why?
You never knew the truth, my love.
You never really understood what I meant
When I said nothing.
I said No to you when I said nothing that day in Black Canyon,
But I really meant Yes.
The influenza incinerated my heart and soul
With a 106 temperature in the winter of 1918.
Twenty nine years I dare say
Is nothing in terms of eternal life!
I had so much more to do!
I had so much more to dream about!
I walked and talked on the streets of my town,
And on the funeral-dark avenues of my innocent days.
And I planned and I schemed
And all for nothing!.
Indeed, I felt the pulse of fleeting time
And the never-ending,
Ever-turning circle of endless days.
But now I rest here in Clark Cemetery… a virgin corpse
Flirting shamelessly with the bow-tie worms,
Still wild with regrets.
And forever haunted in reverse
By the same recurring memory
Of Jesse Forbes holding a rose.
Under the old oak tree in Black Canyon..
Across the scarlet sunset ,
I see a little sea-bird.
Pretending to be strong ,
Actually its making a feeble cry.
Flapping wings again and again,
Its afraid and not giving a try.
The great sky and the vast sea ,
Are making its throat dry.
Everybody came to boost it up ,
Finally mother came with a fishful cup.
In the name of God ,
The little one jumped.
With eyes closed and heart thumped.
And wow! its magic ,
Its faith, its love.
That made it fly ,
Above the sea and across the sky.
Inspired BY 'HIS FIRST FLIGHT' (Liam O' Flaherty)
Spanish moss draping old oaks
Sea bird sanctuaries with lookout platforms
Storks, pelicans and seagulls cry for attention
Hammerhead sharks cruise the Gulf Stream
Hurricane-vulnerable, small cottages
Home to stock car races, bikers
Antique auto enthusiasts
Surfers line the east horizon
Unpredictable waves
Undertow, sand crabs and sea turtle eggs
Let's leave our footprints
In fine, white sand
Collect angel-wing shells
Listen to beach-side church bells
When we visit
Ormond Beach
*Written November 5, 2016 for Janis Thompson's "My Kind of Town" contest that was judged 11/10/2016.
THE COLOUR OF SIN
On a dusky holiday evening,
When the bustle and hustle of city life is left behind,
Salty water flows in-between his fingers
Dangling from a yatch rocking the waves,
Somewhere in the Mediterranean.
The ripples answer the giggle of a little pearl
Jumping on the laps of a twitchy daddy
Lost in thoughts and reflections.
Trying to draw a line,
Between the lies that save men
From the jeopardies of the unspoken truth,
And the truths that destroy the legacy of great men.
Counting how often he stood on that line
And wondering why once
He did cross, admitting to a truth
That caused him his family.
A sea bird flusters the mirage of her beauty;
Twisting her lips behind the fast disappearing sun,
Into a smile that would bear semblance
To the crescent of a would-be moon.
Placing her cute dimples upon her forehead,
And leaving her face dancing in undulation.
The white of her eyes matches the hue of the heavens
Into which he stares deep and sees goodness,
In a white unblemished around the black of her iris
Sharp in contrast to the ones that stared back
In the morning mirror on his wall.
Excitedly she points at the wandering sky
Falling off at the oval edge of the world.
Pulling his beard and asking
Why he doesn’t live with mummy.
There he stands again,
Legs astride of that line,
The truth of his infidelity urges him
But he lies and his eyes get brushed a new shade.
That which would not be washed away
By a river of tears from years of remorse.
The indelible colour of sin
Paints the eyes of the sinner
With shades of red
That thickens with every new iniquity.
I am a slender looking sea bird having forked tails,
long hooked bills and a white under belly.
My genus is marked by sexual dimorphism.
My mate tries to do so many wonderful things so that
I would fall for him.Likewise,wonderful courtship display allows me to do a perfect selection and hang on to an everlasting relationship.
Possessing fantabulous stamina and striking feature~
he inflates his red gular throat pouches like heart shape,kept drumming love call untill I became impressed.
Each male took turn to out do each other ..
But, I loved him at first sight attracted to his musical performance.Aah..he looked magnificent with puffed chest.Shortly we engaged.He gave me a cozy nest to rest.
We, at times perch on tree tops at night for romance.
Being aerial ~he soars throughout the day
hunting for food and late night he comes to me.
Essentially categorised as kleptoparasite ~either we catch other birds or snatch food from their savings.
Swooping down to feed on squid and fish he is often attacked by our predators tuna or dolphins and chased to the surface.
I worry for him untill he is back home.Once he's back we enjoy, care & fulfill each of our desires.
Laying single egg, each year we relish the experience of parenthood every breeding season.
17-7-2020
Disclaimer: Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the two sexes of the same species exhibit different characteristics beyond the differences in their sexual organs.The condition occurs in many animals & some plants too.Differences may include secondary sex characteristics, size, weight, colour, markings, and may also include behavioral & cognitive differences.
Third place in the Contest.
Note: "I am a bird" -personification Poetry Contest.
Sponsored by Tania Kitchin
There was a single large grey bird
Walking around in my back yard
Aimlessly
What is the matter, I asked him
He said well
I was flying with the group
And got distracted by a
Rather beautiful sea bird
I don’t know where they are now, he said
So I told him that earlier that morning
I had seen a “vee” of birds flying overhead
And there was definitely an empty spot in the formation
That was where I should have been, he said sadly
We thought about things in silence for a moment
Then I looked at him and said
But, you do know the way, don’t you
He lifted his head up toward the sky
Well, yes I do know the way, he said
He looked at me for another moment
Stretched his wings once
And flew away.
A The Sea Bird
During the occupation of Norway when many fled to
Sweden or England the new generation has forgotten that
in their hatred of refugees.
I remembered a seabird called Alke which was snared
It was a big bird and needed hours to cook and served with
boiled potatoes and brown gravy which I liked
but I was not keen on the bird it tasted of cod-liver oil
but had to eat some meat usually through tears and mother
hitting me over the head with a wooden spoon.
After the war and little work in factories, the alke was hunted to
near extinction, luckily it was saved in time.
The Norwegians see the world through a fog of self- inflicted fear
feel inundated by a few migrants,
now that the oil price has fallen they would like to see the newcomers,
like the alke, become a rarity
The morning sun stretches across the sky,
charging a palette of blues, greens and chalky coastal whites.
The smell of salt is carried by the early morning humid wind,
and seagulls search for their first delights.
The sparseness of our beach terrain rises up
into sweeping, spartan hills where provincial gardens stew.
Our little white bungalow house proudly stands
on the high promenade and gazes down to the ocean blue.
With stucco walls our house is stout,
it’s long low face consumes the heat of the clamoring seasonal sun.
Through the wide, arching doors to the four season porch,
the eaves crown a frame of fragrant cinnamon.
Our long, slender, wall-less garden extends out to the sea,
where our cliffs afford views of natural luxury.
A centuries old stone staircase descends to our beach,
where blue waves refract light into love’s estuary.
The four season garden is divided in two, half is for cooking
and half for the artist’s eye to bravely portray.
The sun warmed, fertile sandy soil has been sculpted
into rows of herbs, beach fruits and leafs of blue-gray.
The kitchen is open and the heart of this house,
where home grown love is slow cooked and always eaten close.
Stone floors and wood paneled surfaces appending the rooms,
with unframed windows to gaze and expose.
Interiors would be decorated with the colors of love,
painted by hand in the organic way that lovers can.
Our bed is a sand dune of linen and sea bird feathers,
where sunsets and it’s music seduce us time and again.
Through skies I soar free,
Open winged roller coaster.
There, bait I see!
One last turn,
Lightning bolt down...
Splash!
Ocean cold with bait in mouth
Quick out this trap,
Lest predators attack!
Back up full throttle… Forte!
Swish out safely…
Softly blows the sea breeze floating on Maine coast
Lobster rests near seashell colorful pretty
Marine life oceanography exploration for
Sea grant college young students welcoming Oceania.
Sea horse small marine fish floats near
Sea butterfly marine mollusk nestling in aquarium
Oceanarium on seashore warm seas giving a
Reflection sea conveying oceangoing voyages sea bird schooner.
Loved one touches sandy beach viewing sea holly
Blue leaves accent blue flowers together for
Couple tasting lobster thermidor weathered restaurant
Craggy wood pier constructed for people use for good feelings.
Spinnaker sails into the sun warm wind blowing
Oceanfront colors under soaring sea eagle looking
Eyes cheerful happiness rests in heart grateful
Our Creator fashioned earth with ocean life.
I’m a California girl raised in
Denver Colorado.
I wasn’t sure of much when growing up, but
there was one thing I did know.
I wasn’t meant to be in that city,
a mile high.
Instead I should have been on a beach chasing
each days new high tide.
The mountains there outside that town
never felt like home to me.
I knew that what I needed was to smell the
salty air from the sea.
The pine trees that were all around always made me
feel so cold.
Made me want to be under a big ol’ palm tree on the beach
somewhere growing old.
Those cold winter days I won’t forget,
always chilled me to the bone.
Just made me crave to be lying on a warm
beach somewhere alone,...
Basking in the heat of the sun, watching
seagulls on their wing.
I knew that would bring me happiness and would
make me want to sing,...
Along with the bells from the mission
sitting high upon a hill.
Just one of those everyday pleasures that
would give me such a thrill.
Well, I’m finally standing here with my toes
deep in the sand.
Feeling just like a sea bird that has found
the perfect place to land.
I always knew I was misplaced, being born
in the wrong state,
And now I’m sure that being on the beach
really was my ultimate fate.
Copyright: February 14, 2006
Sitting on the hot asphalt blacktop in miles of traffic, feeling lost and alone.
People around me doing the same, everyone seems so sullen and confused.
Cell phone junkies don't know if its day or night in their mundane lives, I guess not much matters anymore. My mind drifts from one thought to another, thinking what's it all for - this life?
Light turns green but I'm not sure I am going in the right direction to begin with. It caught my eye, a shadow overhead that had huge wings - a bird.
An Albatross in the city? Where did it come from? I was intrigued as no one else saw him. Making my way through lanes of cars I tried to follow this elegant creature; I wanted to fly with him.
He was never out of my sight as if he wanted me to follow, and that I did.
The outside world disappeared as he guided through winding roads and the hustle of urban decay. My window down, I could smell the oceans salty breeze, but how? I don't live close to the ocean. He was pulling me past trials and troubles of the day to day to something more important, but what?
This sea bird had led me to the water's edge, sitting like a beacon of hope on the beautiful beach wall. He wanted to pull me through its opening to the sand. He flew low towards the tides as I followed. The shoreline was devoid of people except me and him, the water wetting his feet. He looked at me as if knowing all along where to take me.
We locked eyes and then he beckoned me as his wings carried him towards the sunset horizon with grace. I waded into the ocean as the waves washed away feelings of doubt. My troubles were gone from me.
No past, no future, just the present being one with what he was trying to convey to me. As he faded across the skyline the setting sun glittered across the ocean and me like golden embers.
I now understand what he was trying to show me; it had been there all along. But where? The answer to where is the vastness of your heart. He was a messenger of an otherworldly kind. Follow your heart and the Albatross will lead you home, a home inside yourself.
I shed a tear of joy and thanked him for his actions. I saw his reflection against the water as I began learning to swim again. After all these years now, I can touch my dreams and hear the voice of the waves speak....