BY THE SHORE
By: Edward Carpenter (1844-1929)
ALL night by the shore.
The obscure water, the long white lines of advancing foam, the rustle and thud, the panting sea-breaths, the pungent sea-smell, The great slow air moving from the distant horizon, the immense mystery of space, and the soft canopy of the clouds!
The swooning thuds go on--the drowse of ocean goes on: The long inbreaths--the short sharp outbreaths--the silence between.
I am a bit of the shore: the waves feed upon me, they come pasturing over me; I am glad, O waves, that you come pasturing over me.
I am a little arm of the sea: the same tumbling swooning dream goes on--I feel the waves all around me, I spread myself through them.
How delicious! I spread and spread. The waves tumble through and over me--they dash through my face and hair.
The night is dark overhead: I do not see them, but I touch them and hear their gurgling laughter.
The play goes on!
The strange expanding indraughts go on!
Suddenly I am the Ocean itself: the great soft wind creeps over my face.
I am in love with the wind--I reach my lips to its kisses.
How delicious! All night and ages and ages long to spread myself to the gliding wind!
But now (and ever) it maddens me with its touch, I arise and whirl in my bed, and sweep my arms madly along the shores.
I am not sure any more which my own particular bit of shore is;
All the bays and inlets know me: I glide along in and out under the sun by the beautiful coast-line;
My hair floats leagues behind me; millions together my children dash against my face;
I hear what they say and am marvelously content.
All night by the shore;
And the sea is a sea of faces.
The long white lines come up--face after face comes and falls past me--
Thud after thud. Is it pain or joy?
Face after face--endless!
I do not know; my sense numbs; a trance is on me--
I am becoming detached!
I am a bit of the shore:
The waves feed upon me, they pasture all over me, my feeling is strangely concentrated at every point where they touch me;
I am glad O waves that you come pasturing over me.
I am detached, I disentangle myself from the shore;
I have become free--I float out and mingle with the rest.
The pain, the acute clinging desire, is over--I feel beings like myself all around me, I spread myself through and through them, I am merged in a sea of contact. Freedom and equality are a fact. Life and joy seem to have begun for me.
The play goes on!
Suddenly I am the great living Ocean itself--the awful Spirit of Immensity creeps over my face.
I am in love with it. All night and ages and ages long and for ever I pour my soul out to it in love.
I spread myself out broader and broader for ever, that I may touch it and be with it everywhere.
There is no end. But ever and anon it maddens me with its touch. I arise and sweep away my bounds.
I know but I do not care any longer which my own particular body is--all conditions and fortunes are mine.
By the ever-beautiful coast-line of human life, by all shores, in all climates and countries, by every secluded nook and inlet,
Under the eye of my beloved Spirit I glide:
O joy! for ever, ever, joy!
I am not hurried--the whole of eternity is mine;
With each one I delay, with each one I dwell--with you I dwell.
The warm breath of each life ascends past me;
I take the thread from the fingers that are weary, and go on with the work;
The secretest thoughts of all are mine, and mine are the secretest thoughts of all.
All night by the shore;
And the fresh air comes blowing with the dawn.The mystic night fades--but my joy fades not.
I arise and cast a stone into the water (O sea of faces I cast this poem among you)--and turn landward over the rustling beach.
*******
I had such a great time in Maui and I now know what it feels like to be treated like a queen ***giggles***. Have a great night everyone!
Labels: maui
N Posted by Rain at 2/26/2008 08:37:00 PM
posted at 3:17 PM
I'm not sure if it's just me, but your blog template seems to be all screwed up lol. I can't read your posts because you have pictures overlapping them and certain posts seem to be overlapping others. Just thought I should let you know, because I enjoy reading your blog as I surf on by, and I like to see what you have to say.
Here via Blogexplosion.
posted at 12:36 PM
Hey Tiny Dancer, I miss you and I love you. You will always have my heart and please consider my proposal. Forever yours Pirate~
PS your post looks fine to me. Maybe it is her browser.
posted at 10:48 PM
It might be my browser lol. I use Mozilla as opposed to Internet Explorer, so maybe Mozilla just doesn't like the template or something.
posted at 2:33 PM
Your pics are overlapping with your text -everything is messed up - see what happens when you go away.
Hale McKay posted at 2:38 PM
Your template looks fine to me! I use IE and there is no overlapping on my end.
A belated Happy Birthday - and what a birthday - Maui! (Jealous.)
I don't begrudge anyone xacationing in such a paradise, but it all seems an impossible dream as I look out my window at all the snow and ice. Brrrrr!
tomshideaway posted at 7:01 PM
IE is ok but Firefox isn't ..Very strange..thanks for stopping by I just wish I could email you some of that Manicotti!!
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posted at 3:17 PM
Hale McKay posted at 2:38 PM
