Monday, January 26, 2015

The Sea Inside (The Secret of the Sea Part IV, Chapter 4)

 



The Secret of the Sea





1.
The Visionary Approach



 The day that comprises this chapter
Appears to begin like most others,
With a circumscribed boat trip to maritime San Francisco
Yet today is more than an adventure,
It is a quest for an oceanic vision






Like a fish out of water
I have to cross a land bridge
Before I can grow fins 
and go back into the water again





Despite its vastness, at some point
The bay isn't large enough
To contain my soulfulness







I move out to the limits
A romantic table for one 
For my ritualistic picnic spot








Many have crossed it and many have sailed under it,
But not everyone has scurried underneath the bridge






A huge veritable bomber flew over several times, 
One of three bizarre displays of military might,
Two chinook helicopters cake-walked over the Wharf,
And macho fighter jets made a number of passes





The Marin Headlands
Metamorphic in the changing light,






In  the direction of the sea





The closing of the day 
The bridge steel almost wavers






Each soul like a lone ship,
Enters a mystery in the form of a journey





A longing that runs through all living things,
To return to a source in eternity









The sunset warps space










The earth and sea undulate
 and are part of me








Poignant dusk out where nobody goes but me,








The Golden Gate gives way to the sea
An oceanic planet with islands and continents,
Most places on earth are out of sight of land








2.
The Bridge at Night



At night it's a different world,
An atmosphere of violet-pink mists 
added to a state of irreality





In the center of the image,
The gold band of lights at the Port of Oakland





This is as far as I'll go
The first pylon





Pedestrians aren't permitted on
The wilderness side of the bridge
A proscribed period is reserved for bicycles,
But they can't stop, if they do
A control voice will hector them








A thrill leaning over the rail to image Fort Point,
A dynamic landmark in Noir San Francisco
Would you dive in after Kim Novak?








Headlights on the beach road 
Back to the imaginary city






Onto the Bay again, 
Coming in from the sunset sea
Sailing for home









23 January 2015






 Epilogue
Beyond the Sea




In  the realm of archetype
 I return to my home port
The Ferry pulls in as evening falls






 The boat docks at the landing on schedule
Venus and the faintest moon emerge in tandem
As foreseen by ancient astronomers








 I look back over my shoulder
At my adventure as if it was a fable 
As if it all only happened in a dream
A profound dream that buoys me away at night
That glimmers in distant hopes and imagined plans








 The End












January 2015











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