The Sea Black The sea rhythms Still the town sounds And muted lights blink In the whispering rainfall. The night-gulls cry, Lost in their Sehnsucht. Carried on a plaintive wind Hidden in the darkness. The pier creaks another year, Fearful of winter storms. Splintered and slowly yielding to Relentless, unforgiving waves. An empty promenade where Echoes of summer children, Hide behind shuttered stalls, Waiting for the spring tides. He recalls he was once that child, But now strides towards eager waves. The shore-man stood motionless Sea tears on his frozen cheeks. The spray spits in truculent winds And gritted teeth filter the sand. The horizon has gone, The blackness deepens. Shallow breaths between each wave, Shivering like clattering pebbles. The cold no longer a friend and A sadness that rarely ebbs. The night-gulls call, 'Go home, the sea is not yours' He turns, seeing the pier as if for the first time. No, he says. The warmth will return. The waves advance, encouraging. The pebbles chime in relief as The wind relents and the gulls quieten. And moth-like the lights draw him home. _________________________________ Sadness, desperation, grief depression, loneliness, anxiety. So much in life can push us to the sea black. All enveloping. But we only need to see one light and know that there is warmth, love and kindness waiting. If you need to talk, talk. Don't suffer in silence. I have, but just asking a friend to talk has helped me out of the darkness and pulled me away from that cold shore edge.
It is #mentalhealthawareness week. Reach out. Talk. I did. It helped.
