The Sea and Me

Longing to be free

Photo by Kinga Howard on Unsplash

I walked to the edge of the sea

To see what was ahead of me

I felt the braces on my knees

I knew they were limiting me

I walked further into the water

I longed to be free

The cool water felt refreshing on my warm skin

I wanted it to wash my cares away

And so, I walked further into the bay

The water stretched out to the horizon, as far as I could see

I stood in awe of the vastness compared to me

I wanted to swim. Should I dare?

Why should I care?

If the water was murky

Or what people thought of me?

What if I didn’t get this chance again?

All that was guaranteed was this moment.

I decided it was time to be free

I relaxed on my back

I let the water carry me

I gazed up at the sky, sun, and clouds

The world was becoming quieter

This was the moment of peace I was waiting for

It was just the sea, the sun, clouds, and me

I thought of how effortlessly the water held me up as I floated

A sea gull nearby cried

My thoughts came back to myself, and the people around me

I didn’t want anyone to think I was drowning. Ha!

I was still alive. More than I had been in a while

I pulled one arm in back of me and another as I glided across the bay

Swimming, it all came back to me by the way

I slowly walked back to the shore

Salt water in my hair

My ponytail plastered to my back

Sand on my feet

The breeze cooling the water droplets on my skin

I felt young again, if only for a moment

I trusted the water

I trusted me

That was the only way I could be free.

Photos of our of Cape May vacation 2024 courtesy of Jane Deegan