Daily poetry: These Shores (with photo)

I experienced heavy depression from the age of 17 through my entire 20s.

Depression was with me almost every minute of the day. So much in fact, that the mental pain I felt ended up translating into physical pain. There were days when I could barely move.

Unfortunately, at the time, depression was a taboo topic. If you dared talk about it, you would meet puzzled reactions. Some people would even tell you to get over it after listening to you for five minutes. That is because, unlike a disease like cancer, the symptoms of depression are mostly invisible. And people are scared of what they cannot see.

Healing for me started the day I felt ready to embrace my pain instead of rejecting it. I stopped seeing myself as the victim of a monster. Suddenly, doors opened and solutions were in sight. I applied the lessons learnt and one day, depression was gone. It has never come back since.

I wrote the poem below when recovery was well on its way. I could see quite a bit of light at the end of the tunnel...

THESE SHORES

While searching for some new land,
My ship foundered in the deep sea.
I could have drowned or lost my life,
But I can swim better than most.
I let myself be carried by the current.
Rocked by the waves, I fell asleep.
I could have lost my way or died
But I can resurface better than most.

I lost count of time. Nights and days,
Months maybe, passed me by, quickly.
Then, suddenly, sky and water merged!
As far as the eye could see, tranquility.
My failing heart started beating wildly;
My flawed spirit rejoiced in the scenery,
For I had caught a glimpse of coastline.
All got clearer! I would walk again.

Filled with wonder, I swam closer.
My hand slowly reached for the shore.
I could have hit a rock or lost my balance,
But I love surprises more than most.
The sand was sodden but soft to the touch;
Warm and balmy were these shores.
A sense of discovery took hold of me,
‘Cause I love novelty more than most.

I got back to my feet and started ambling.
The woods and mountains were very appealing.
I felt like a new Christopher Columbus –
This land reminded me of America.
A few bugs here and there; some cold nights.
But I felt quickly at home for the first time in years.
The warrior in me turned into a peaceful explorer –
Believe me, I was surrounded by harmony.

Smitten with thee, my island, I was very easily!
Your abundance was food for thought.
Your lushness enthralled me to the full.
Your rare tempests were part of life’s cycle.
How quiet and confident I became!
Renewal visited me every morning;
Faith cradled me at night, like a child.
My nakedness was my best quality.

Then, one day, you asked me to leave –
You said that I was ready to be free.
I could have begged you to let me stay,
But I comprehend the unsaid more than most.
I let the current carry me once again,
And rocked by the waves, I fell asleep.
I could have lost my way or died
But my new reality was now my lifeline.

I shall not depict how I was found,
Or of what people tried to convince me.
The only thing I recall is smiling!
I smiled all the way until I reached new shores.
Then, I did not have to walk again.
I had become part of the scenery!
I was one with nature, man, life!
No new lands did I need anymore!

Now, twenty years later, I still dream of you.
Or I may simply have invented you.
Oh well, I guess I am too joyful now;
These shores have been my secret love story.

Nobody would believe that one can adore,
Adore Nature more than the human race.
Oh well, I guess people will change eventually.
These shores are my hopes for the future.

These shores were my light.
Should you find them,
Please, let them guide you too!

©2006 Cendrine Marrouat

Category	Landscape photography
Settings	ISO 400, f/16, 1/200s
Camera	Nikon D750
Lens	Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 78mm
Location	Kauai, Hawaii, United States

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Photography by Cendrine Marrouat (@cendrinemedia) - http://www.cendrinemedia.com

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