Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Where lovers walk

Walking home from the station along the beach today I looked at the ocean stretching out before me and the mountain rising up behind me.
And I found myself thinking how peacefully these two exist beside each other. They are so different yet the sea is not questioning the solid nature of the land and the land is not judging the fluidity of the sea.

Gazing down the long beach I can feel the soft caress of the water where it meets the land. Gently washing in and out painting beautiful images in the sand that change instantly as the next wave rolls in. This is the place where the two touch. A place for birds to nest, for kids to play, for lovers to walk.

Just imagine if the land suddenly decided the sea was too fluid and would move in trying to control the centre of the sea. Or the sea would wash over the land trying to shape its centre into a body of water. What would happen to the mountain with all its beautiful bizarre rock formations and secret caves? What would happen to the ocean with all the dancing waves and deep waters? And what would happen to the beach that I am walking on? Where would the birds nest, the kids play and the lovers walk?

Of course, there are not only long white beaches and secluded lagoons but also harsh cliffs where the waves break hard. Watching the sea meeting the land with such force can be scary yet beautiful to watch. But even in those places, the two don’t threaten each others existence. The centre of the sea is still deep and quiet and the centre of the land is still solid and quiet.

Only sometimes, when I watch the sunset over the ocean or behind the mountain I have a sense that they touch each other in the centre. Respectfully and gently only with love where the rivers whisper to the earth.