Into the Sea

Community: Part 5

Hello, Community!

This is Part 6 of a six-part poetry exchange between me and the Substack poet’s poet, Brian Funke of Poetry & Process. The theme for this exchange was Community. Below is my response to Brian’s poem, Revelation.

A newsletter will be published daily for six days, exploring different aspects of Community, each publication responding to and building on the prior piece from the collaborating artist. Read along and consider your own community with themes of childhood, friendship, love, broken community, leaving and returning, solitude, nature, searching, parenting, and promises.

I hope you enjoy this collaborative effort on Community.

Community: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

Into the Sea

We sat side-by-side,
hand-in-hand,
our feet hanging off the
edge of the pier, watching
the sun melt into her daily,
watery grave.

We locked eyes and you
asked me, “Dad, if I fell
into the sea would you
jump in after me?”

I hugged you tight and
replied, “Child, I would
plunge into the depths
of the sea and search
until I could set you free.”

One moment we sat,
hand-in-hand, side-by-side
our feet dangling off the
edge of the pier, watching
the sun melt into her daily,
watery grave.

I closed my eyes and I was
once again pulled under by
the riptide, nothing but water above
and water below.

My lungs burned and my body fought
and contorted until in my soul I heard
my father say to me, “If ever you’re
pulled into the sea, just relax and be.
You’ll surface soon enough, you’ll see.”

One long day we sat cross-legged,
back-to-back, each holding our
own hands, away from the edge
of the pier, the sky too cloudy
to watch the sun disappear into her
daily, watery grave.

You would not look into my eyes.
And I could not remember if I’d
ever told you, “If ever you’re
pulled into the sea, just relax and be.
You’ll surface soon enough, you’ll see.”

You hugged me tight with tears in
your eyes, and asked, “Daddy, could
you still plunge into the sea and
search for me—and set me free?”

We once again locked eyes.
I saw the stars reflected in
your bright blue pools, and
I whispered, “Child, should you
ever fall into the sea, I would jump
in after thee. Just relax
and soon enough
together
we’ll surface,
you’ll see.”

Listen to me read Into the Sea below:

Poet’s Notes

May 21-June 3, 2024

Part six of “An exchange” with Brian Funke on community, in response to “Revelation”. The second line of Brian’s poem, “I stood facing a wise man” stayed with me. I have rarely struggled as much with a poem as I did with “Into the Sea”. Usually, either the words and lines come or they don’t, and I just rest until the next step reveals itself. This poem took many twists and turns, remaining elusive until everything came together as I sat in the audience at an end-of-the-year concert for my last middle schooler.

Thanks for reading!

Be the poetry you want to see in the world!

Cheers,