I so wanted to find
a happy poet
Not happy as in
an optim-ist
Or a pacif-ist
But happy as in
a ‘so here we are’- ist
‘What have we got here’-ist
‘Oh I see’-ist
Whose poetry is not
Thirst
Or outburst
Or curse
Or rehearsed
But gentle, slow
Ebb and flow
No anarchist
or frustrated artist
But… an Oceanist
Yes.. as if made philosophical
By a century of watching the ocean
To the ocean then…
To find the happy poet
I was by the ocean
The sun was almost risen
The grass was almost green
The mist was playing games
Between the seen and the unseen
I stepped right on to the edge
I bent peering into the ocean
Into those seemingly calm waters
I fell-Splash!- in one smooth motion
Did you know that can happen?
Did I?
I thought the water was shallow
I thought my feet found a rock
As I thought I had found ground
I was in for a shock
The rock gave way, and I
Rolled on into the mighty waters
And I flailed and spat, and fell and rose
And made such spitters and spatters
The ocean.. was not an ocean
It became a gorge
The gorge fell violently
Became a waterfall
And so too I
Water-fell
Head first
feet up
Barely breathing
Between sputters and cough
Scratched limbs
On bushes and vines
No idea where I was headed
And no design
At last the waters deposited me
Once more in a quiet place
I felt like I had been gone
Many many days
I looked up to figure
Where I might be
I had just wanted to find the happy poet
For the moment, let’s just find me
I am by the ocean
The sun has almost risen
The grass is almost green
The mist is playing games
Between the seen and the unseen
My heart still beating in my ears
My stomach still gliding down a giant water-slide
My breath still unsure and quickened
I hear somebody’s stride
What do we have here?
Someone’s come looking for a happy poet
Oh I see
Featured Image: Personal, May 2016
