A love letter to the Ocean by Priyanjali Karn (Word Warriors)

Dear ocean,

You’ve always made me wonder.

Wonder how can you be so wild yet

So calm at the same time

How can you hold on to the edges of

the earth, yet never seem to fall upon

The empty space that we all lookup

to

How there are no lives you can’t hold

and no miles you can’t fold,

How, when you come, you always come followed

by the massive, massive space you belong to

There’s no curb to your wildness and

no reach to your freedom.

There’s no map on earth that can show you where to go,

and no road of stones that can build your way over

the fierce subtlety of strength you’re made up of

With ever lush on the tip of your wave you

seem to turn the whole planet around.

and with every brush that runs across your cold breeze

You make me wonder.

How do you do it?

How do you stay awake all night, listening

to the moon call upon you

and as the moon falls asleep with your kind and tender

Alohas and salutations,

You watch the sun rays grace your waters, letting its warm spirit

sink beneath your deep, deep mystery.

How do you let the earth pull you closer with every small wave

and calm you down with every storm stave that passes by

How does the rain cuddle upon your wet comfort as if it’s so easy?

How do you dance upon the wicked beat of thunder as though

no power, what so ever, can scare you?

As though no power is bigger than you, than your courage

The courage to take on what’s yours, and admire what’s not.

I’ve always wanted to be like you, you know

I’ve always wanted to run like the whole world belonged to me,

Like the universe had nothing against me to hold grudges on.

I’ve always wanted to stay afloat on my body,

where no knives can sink and no flowers can die.

To hold on to my own, be enough for my own,

fall upon my own.

I’ve always wanted to talk to the moon, and ask,

“Where are my waves? Where is my freedom?”

I’ve always wanted to ask the sun,

“Why don’t you ever shine through me and reflect on my coverings too?”

To ask the earth,

“Why am I the only one you never hold on to? Why do you always let me trip over my own doubts and fall upon my own despair?”

Why?

Did I do something wrong?

Am I not worthy enough?

So, Dear Ocean,

I never really got to tell you this,

But you inspire me, and I want to be just like you

I want to see what you see and I want to feel what you feel.

To be as wild as you, as fearless as your waves,

That nothing could ever stop me,

Not even me.