My father was a Rock,
my mother she was Ocean,
and when they met,
out of the waves so gently laid
upon the pebbled beach,
I came into this Life,
and so it is:
the Rock becomes a thousand pebbles
and the Ocean takes,
takes back
what at first Love was Hers:
an everlasting, Soul consuming,
deeply moving wave embracing Time,
and all of us.
My father was a Rock,
my mother she was Ocean,
the beach their gentle playing ground,
the waves their tune,
the tide their song,
the stars at night the scene
for what at morning light
became a memory for years to come
and all of this is given
and all of this is seen
by those who with a silent song
sing to the everlasting rocks
and dance to the embrace of Time,
the whispering wave of Love.
My father was a Rock,
my mother she was Ocean,
and when they met,
out of the waves so gently laid
upon the pebbled beach,
I came into this Life,
and when my Time has come
remember then the waves
remember then this Rock
and how I called the Ocean
to take back what was Hers.
I know that oceans are,
(let’s keep in touch)
I know that oceans are,
I know,
that’s how I know you know me,
I know,
although we never touched,
no hands, no waving,
no murmur soft
in passing by,
only with eyes,
singing silent songs
but even then I know,
I know you know me
There is a sun to greet and
in these nights, when all have
gone to sleep, we are awake,
singing silent songs
that’s how we keep in touch
that’s how I know you know me,
I feel your breath hovering
around a crescent moon,
those clouds can’t hardly
cover all our longing,
paradise,
and in the meantime,
I know you know me,
I know you knew me then,
as waves left free on beaches
to linger for a while,
singing silent songs
and then the sand,
the pebbled shore,
it testifies of longing,
the hunger taken in
and shared,
I know you know me
I know you won’t forget
I keep on walking beaches,
to linger for a while,
singing silent songs
that’s how we keep in touch
I know that oceans are
(let’s keep in touch)
I know that oceans are
Shall I hold you or shall I set you free?
Your voice came to me from afar,
the sun was setting, and there was a smile
Shall I hold you or shall I set you free?
What is the home of this one leaf?
Where is the tree it once belonged to?
Shall I hold you or shall I set you free?
What purpose has the wave
that springs from ocean deep?
Is it aware of beaches far away
where it will rest its wing?
Shall I hold you or shall I set you free?
What happens with the cloud
that now is dancing with the sun?
Shall it not once return
and rest next to that wave
in ocean deep?
Shall I hold you,
O, shall I hold you or shall I set you free?
Your voice came to me from afar,
the sun was setting and there was a smile
and then a word:
there is no holding nor is there setting free,
because in oceans deep a Love is stirring all,
it sets out endlessly,
and it inspires the hand
that is now touching you,
O, then I shall hold you and so set you free.
Well there it is: I’m speechless, I watch my breath
and it is empty, imagine clouds desperately looking
for a sky to populate, or birds lacking support to
spread their wings and fly, I’m speechless, watching
the horizon as it has just swallowed my last word,
and with it all it had to offer, not being sure if there
will ever be a dawn to unfold whatever meaning was
still hidden in its womb, I am aborted, speechless,
even the memory has left together with the smell
that hand in hand accompanied this precious treasure,
it’s gone, and here I wonder whether it is time to go
to sleep and to surrender, to lower now this useless flag,
where are the eyes, where are the ears to spot, where
is the home to enter, what harbor is it that would
welcome this forgotten sail, where are the hands
to comfort, I am speechless, but suddenly I realize
that there is room to fill, and unannounced one tear
touches my lips, and then another, and another still,
until I am no longer able to resist, I am flooded, for
every breath I take there is a wave, and the more I
breathe the more the waves keep rolling, on and on,
I become an ocean and I wake up to a new horizon,
and there it is: I’m speechless at this sight of nearing
fleets, a multitude of sails and waving flags are coloring
the dawn, then I remember, by letting go my last word
thus became the key to unlock what beyond meaning
is the keeper of the mystery, O yes, there is a deeper
womb, it is speechless, but it breathes, it is the silent
birthplace of eternity.
(France, Biarritz, Sunset @ Rocher De La Vierge & Vieux-Boucau-les-Bains, Atlantic Ocean beach, February 25th, 2009, a magic moment in front of my lens)
Sometimes we hesitate between tomorrow and today, the burden of yesterday upon our shoulders as an ocean wave, too heavy for a ride. Sometimes we hesitate upon that selfsame wave, we hesitate, we linger, we listen to the wind perhaps there is a message there before we drown in thoughts about these waves that on and on roar through our heads as a forgotten love, long, long forgotten but present, each second coming, coming and again: you see Here face in front of you, with every hand She lays upon the beach a deadly kiss, but still this wind is irresistible, is loud and clear and yet again we hesitate, shall we then sing with Her this ancient melody, written in a thousand pebbles on the shore? Sometimes we hesitate between tomorrow and today, the burden of a yesterday upon our shoulders as an ocean wave, but once the die is cast we fly, O we sing, we dance and glide, no cold can hold us back, this beach is ours and we meet our Love, we roll and turn, become the Wave, Her arms around us, gently rocking, Her voice a lullaby we recognize from first we entered, O yes, and here She is, for us only for us, and up and down we go, we roll and rock, we shout exhilarated, we enter in Her curve, She is inviting us again, again, Her wave a womb to live our lives so fast and faster still until the winter carries us above the water, we have wings and eagle like we leave the cave, invited by the Sun as if we were a newborn Star, O yes, we shine, we shine with our new Light years and years ahead, beyond all hesitation found our Love, finally Home, finally homeward bound and yes, this beach is ours this ocean now our Home, and that is all we have and all we need, there is no hesitation in this moment because this is indeed All we have, O, All we will have, All we will have eternally.
(written February 25th, 2009, on the beach during a rain shower on the Vieux-Boucau-les-Bains beach near Biarritz, sitting on a dune, watching some surfers on the waves. I had told them I would write a poem for them while watching. After their surfing, the poem was finished and I read it to them. A magic moment!)
Boutman 