when greeting the ocean for the first time,
take time to notice how a child opens her arms
to the roar of waves, mimic her acceleration, her glee
notice how the old dog threads gently
on the sand to sit at the water’s edge
wonder the story he might tell about his wait
anticipating his friend’s return
watch the sandpipers as they tease the ripples
of salty water with low acrobatic
flights, and how the foam bubbles laughter
without laughter to turn back
extend your hands over your head to the sun,
and let your hair dance the wind even when
it is cold
listen to the ocean’s words
each shore has its own
language and yarns to tell
whatever is washed ashore is not for you
to own, but take heart and feel the texture
of a shell
imagine the driftwood
as it had been when it was still a tree
do a greeting to its ghost
hark back that your body
and theirs are the same
Judge’s comments:
The category was the Coast and I felt a panorama in this poem. The poets asks us to notice things and use various senses to do that. "the sandpipers as they tease the ripples," "let your hair dance the wind" and "the ocean words" contribute to this." Congratulations!
Amelia Díaz Ettinger
Amelia Díaz Ettinger is a Latinx BIPOC poet and writer. Her books include Learning to Love a Western Sky, Speaking at a Time /Hablando a la Vez, These, These Hollow Bones, and two chapbooks Fossils in a Red Flag and Self Dissection. Amelia’s poetry and short stories have been published in anthologies, literary magazines, and periodicals.
Yes, I can feel it!