Poetry gives substance to our experiences, as if to help us understand the import of a specific time and place. Words assimilate with emotional responses to produce memories that can be recalled with a vibrant clarity. Listening to poetry we relive the moment again.
My son and I walked along the sandy beaches of Wells-next-the-Sea. One of the first poems that he recited as a young child was Sea Fever by John Masefield. Come join our walk and listen to the words of poetry that merge with the sound of a brisk wind that buffeted the coastline.
If you miss a word now and then, read along with the wind.
Sea Fever
by John Masefield
I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking,
I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.
I must down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.
A very special thanks to our dear friends, the Fab Four of Cley, who welcomed us with warmth and kindness.
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