The Land versus the Sea
To the man on the shore, the sea
With its vast expanse, appears lovely;
With sparkling waves of immense beauty,
That calms the mind of its devotee!
The incessant roar of sea-waves is awesome,
And drowns the ears which welcome;
Time seems to have come to a halt
To those who sit by the water with salt.
The foam and froth and spray fill the air-
A treat to the eyes which watch and stare;
The sand under the feet too slips and goes
Back to the sea, its home, of course!
The sea is home to creatures lot;
Its breeze is so cool to skins that are hot;
The lives of fishermen on it depend;
A watery grave to some, it may just end.
Who can deny the sea doesn’t bring mirth
To mankind, right from its very birth?
Oh, once it spanned the whole surface of the earth,
Receding just before the first man got his first breath.
But to the man in a ship caught in a storm,
The land holds hope and appears calm-
A haven to those who desire less harm,
That keeps sailors off deep seas, warm.
The sea is hope to fishermen, may be;
The land is hope to men amidst a stormy sea;
With joy and sadness in both surely,
They live in threatened amity!
And yet, at other times, the sea
Is a scene of great tranquility;
Twirling its waves high, infinitely;
And tossing them onshore in spontaneity.
Oh, what shall we call it- necessity,
Enmity or Nature’s harmony;
Or the land’s immeasureable agony,
That’s an endless pity?
Or is it a show of love and of hate,
From time immemorial that won’t abate?
And yet, the sea takes the upper hand,
Gnawing the coastline of the land-
That changes so very often,
[...] Read more
poem by John Celes
Added by Poetry Lover
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