The waves waved at me

From far across the horizon

Like the cheers of fans

Still stashed in the back of my mind

I heard the seagulls' cries

Piercing the sunset skies

Like the agonizing screams

Hidden away inside of me

Everything that used to be

My childhood on the beach

Writing songs under a tree

My success on a bright stage

Mom's pancakes in summer

Dad's jokes and stories in winter

Kelsi's sweet smiles and friendship

They are all long gone

I finally left sight of the last beach

Turned into the final street

That dearly beloved house all gone

Like the years that passed by

Tell those

who carelessly toss

wrappings from Happy Meals

into my churning eternal seeming endlessness

to keep it clean.

Waves

that once

tourists rose early

to walk

seeking treasures

now

only find the refuse

of the hypocrisy of others.

It felt like waves crashing down around me.

One after the other.

Then another.

Till it all went still.

And I felt no more.

The waves of panic.

of fear.

of worry

were washed away.

She took my hand tighter than I expected as we inched into the water.

As soon as the icy waves touched her toes, she shrieked and jumped out of"harm's way". I laughed in pleasure, seeing her squeam at something that seemed so simple to me.

"Lily, are you coming or what?"

"EDEN, IT'S COLD! HOW THE HELL CAN YOU STAND THERE?!" Her response made me laugh harder, almost doubling over but unable to due to still holding onto her hand.

"Lily," I gasped between laughs. "How have you never been in the ocean?"

"I've been in the ocean... in Hawaii..."

"That's artificial ocean. That water's always warm. THIS" I gestured to the waves, "is the ocean!" She looked past me to the neverending expanse of water. I saw her face shift from one of fake anger to actual concern. "Hey, Lilly." She looked back at me. "It's gonna be okay. I'm right here. I'm holding your hand, and I won't let you go." She nodded in acknowledgment, but I could still see her concern.

"Are you sure we won't get stung or stabbed by anything?"

"Lily, no. It's too cold and this beach isn't known for jellyfish. Or sharks." She sighed but squeezed my hand to signal she was ready.

She stepped back into the water and, while not screaming, she tried to hold her shrieks in her mouth(which were still very audible). I turned around so she couldn't see me stifling my laughter again. While the process was very, very, very slow, Lily and I worked our way through the water. Every wave trying to push us back to shore surprised Lily, but she was determined now. When we got to waist-deep water, I stopped.

"Woo-hoo!" Lily shouted, jumping for joy. "I did it, Eden! Look at me, I'm in the ocean!" She closed the distance between us and embraced me in a strong hug. I hugged her back, hiding my red face in her neck.

It's nice to help people's dreams come true, especially for those you love.

<3

When someone says waves, I think of several things. I can't tell you which comes into my mind first. I think they enter it simultaneously. Mainly, I think of four different types of waves, each special in its own way.

1. The Beach: The waves lap around my feet, and the setting sun colors the water orange. Children are laughing as they run barefoot through the water. Seagulls swoop across the pink and blue sky. The white clouds drift slowly by.

2. Family: I help get my aunt's kids into their coats and shoes. I buckle them into their car-seats. As the car backs down the driveway, I can hear a young voice calling, "Bye-bye!" and I see a tiny hand waving farewell.

3. Heat: Heat waves dance across blacktop as I play in the sprinkler on a hot summer day. I run barefoot across the driveway. It is too hot to touch, except where the spray water has cooled it. The water cools my hot head, and soaks my hair. I look at the sun through the water, and see a rainbow glimmering softly.

4. Sound: Music. Laughter. Voices. Birds. Wind. All of these sounds reach my ears. How do I hear them? They are sound waves. Without them, I would live in a world of silence. Without sound waves, I couldn't whisper in bed at night, or listen to classical music. I wouldn't be able to hear a baby's soft cry, or a bird's sweet song. I'm very grateful for sound waves.

Who would have guessed that a top-heavy dude wouldn't be good at surfing?

For all my life I've felt a call to the ocean and a deep passion for surfing. It's simply felt like part of my DNA. Point Break (1991) is my favorite movie, and Jack Johnson is my favorite musician and I doubt it's a coincidence that both have ties to surfing.

I got my first chance to try surfing on a vacation to Tofino over a decade ago. It was a birthday present that included private lessons at the surf just in front of our hotel room. I could not have been more stoked! In my mind I was going to pop-up on the board like a natural and carve waves that would be the envy of everyone else.

My instructor, a young blond dude, was all of about 120 pounds and lean from head to toe. Beyond that he was a semi-pro surfer and the top-level lifeguard in the region. Yup, I was going to amaze this tiny man with my natural skills!

Then a day of harsh realities happened.

First, on the sandy beach, I learned that my well-worn knees don't allow me to do anything close to a "pop up". It's easiest to picture my talents if you imagine a seal flopping around on the rocks.

Second, now in the water, I learned that dudes with most their weight up around their shoulders do NOT have a low center of gravity... apparently that's important. I could easily push my way through the surf like a linebacker, but get on the board? No chance!

Sensing my frustration the instructor came over to give me some calming words of encouragement. That went ok until the little bugger hopped up on his board from chest-height water, then stood there like he was on a sidewalk. I wanted to hurt him.

There is no doubt that I suck at surfing. I'm built for manual labor, not for sports requiring finesse, and as I get older the chances of ever getting up on a board become slimmer and slimmer. But surfing is still in my DNA and I'll continue to do frustrating head plants into freezing water every chance I get.

I didn’t mean

to make waves

I only wanted fame

using your name

wasn‘t for personal gain

it was about me going insane

I want to publish

and be infinite

the piece I wrote

was to make it

in a world

I don’t know

if I have any place in

Watch the birds

Drinking salt sea water

While the wave is approaching

Look how happy it is

It is that time of the year

Summer time

People surfing to the magical waves

Doing tricks while everyone cheers

You are in the water

Trying to chill by the sound

Swimming, diving, throwing water to friends

Inside the small and strong waves of the sea

In the nights couples sitting in the sand

The sound of the calm waves they hear

Sitting, kissing, eating

In the waves of the night sea

Before they leave

Watch the waves before they leave

Let them take you in a calm journey

To the land of the quite and happy sea waves.