Monday, February 22, 2010

Another Beach Post (from today's Writer's Almanac)



Beach Attitudes

Blessed is the beach, survivor of tides.

And blessed the litter of crown conchs and pen shells, the dead
blue crab in all its electric raiment.

Blessed the nunneries of skimmers,
scuttering and rising, wheeling and falling and settling, ruffling
their red and black-and-white habits.

And blessed be the pacemakers and the peacemakers,

the slow striders, the arthritic joggers, scarred and bent under
their histories, for they're here at last by the sunlit sea.

Blessed Peoria and Manhattan, Ottowa and Green Bay, Pittsburgh,
Dresden.

And blessed their children.

And blessed the lovers for they shall have one perfect day.

Blessed be the dolphin out beyond the furthest buoy,
slaughtering the bright leapers,
for they shall have full bellies.

Blessed, too, the cormorant and the osprey and the pelican
for they are the cherubim and seraphim and archangel.

And blessed be the gull, open throated, screeching, scolding
me to my face,

for he shall have his own place returned to him.
And the glossy lip of the long wave shall have the last kiss.


by Richard Dana 


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10 comments:

  1. Elizabeth, I love the Little House on the Prairie books but haven't read the one you mentioned. Perhaps I have an incomplete education that I must rectify. I'll need a little boy to read it with. There are times that I miss the beaches of San Diego, La Jolla, and Charleston. We spent a lot of time on Sullivan's Island at our neighbor's beach house that was, fortunately, spared when Hugo hit. Somehow the Lake Michigan beaches just aren't the same--especially in winter! I hope you have a good week with your beautiful mermaid and handsome boys!

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  2. Wow, that is a beautiful poem. The beach is a blessing indeed.

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  3. i had to read it twice. thank you:)

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  4. I read this this morning and I loved it! I'm so glad you used it with such a great picture. Excellent poem, excellent post!

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  5. This poem moved me to tears... it's been way too long since I've been to the shore. Thank you for posting this!

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  6. ohhhh. 'survivor of tides'

    -that's us, Elizabeth.

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  7. beautiful prayer...i love the beach.

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  8. Lovely poem, I could see the beach as I read. Thanks for posting it.

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  9. Lovely poem, I could see the beach as I read. Thanks for posting it.

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