28 Comments
User's avatar
Nazish Nasim's avatar

"We are at any moment only an instant of who we are". So deep. Such beauty. You remind me of David Whyte often, Dave. You have such serene wisdom and beautiful language as well as skill to deliver it. Thank you for writing, my friend.

David Kirkby's avatar

Oh, dear Nazish...

That is such a generous and wonderful compliment to make.

I am genuinely honoured, and deeply touched....

Bestwishes to you always my friend

Dave :)

Erin Horn's avatar

Powerful 🧡

David Kirkby's avatar

Thank you Erin.

Deeply appreciated.

Best Wishes - Dave :)

Aaliya's avatar

Amazing ♥️

Pae's avatar

The phrase 'each thought a fragment, a wave scattered' perfectly captures the internal turbulence of being alive. You’ve framed the ocean not just as a backdrop, but as a mirror for the restless, shifting nature of the human spirit. Truly evocative work.

David Kirkby's avatar

Thank you, Pae

That is such a lovely thing to say.

"the restless, shifting nature of the human spirit..." - so true, and of course, because of that, different things appeal to us on different days.

I'm glad this piece spoke to you, on this day.

Best Wishes - Dave :)

Lois Rowley's avatar

Lovely, it reminds me of the rock pools that I used to jump across as a young girl at fly point NSW. It is a smell o can’t be too far away from. The sea is almost like my mother, just there waiting for me to walk into her arms and be held.

Rajani Radhakrishnan's avatar

Balance of substance and liquidity... I love that... your feelings for the ocean come through in this!

Alegria de Rose's avatar

Breathtaking!

David Kirkby's avatar

Thank you, dear Alegria.

I was in some discomfort, writing to distract myself ahead of minor surgery, and unsure whether to publish the post or not. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Best Wishes - Dave :)

Alegria de Rose's avatar

I’m glad you did David. All the best on the surgery. Hopefully it’s behind you now.

David Kirkby's avatar

Hi Alegria

Yes - thank you! All done and all okay now.

D :)

Alegria de Rose's avatar

That’s great. 🎉 Be well.

Rebecca Cook's avatar

Dave, this reminds me to how memory works, and how the workings of our memories are everything there is. And only. But not stark or sad or lonely. Just the way we are--in a constant state of flux. So it's beautiful, if looked at, not from the angle of fear, but from the uncompromising view of the placid observer.

The waving grass in the water reminds me of being a very little girl, watching the grasses waving under the "glass-bottomed" tourist boat rushing across the water.

David Kirkby's avatar

Ah! Yes.... I have sat in a glass bottom boat watching that. I have also floated face down with mask and snorkel watching the seaweed dance - entranced.

These photos - and that video - are from the last week, as I wandered about the coast here in my old home town, revisiting some favourite places. There is always something new to "sea...."

You caught my meaning and intent neatly - like plucking a tennis ball in flight.

We are fleeting. We are sparking.

We are sparkling and splashing.

Then we are gone.

And it's okay...

Best Wishes

Dave :)

Rea de Miranda's avatar

The unselfish beauty of the ocean. Thank you for this lovely post!

David Kirkby's avatar

Thank you, Rea.

The ocean has so much to teach us. Many of my posts - poetry and prose - are reflections on that. You might enjoy my longer post, on a similar theme - "Headland." https://davidkirkby.substack.com/p/headland?r=471m47

Best Wishes

Dave :)

School of Blue's avatar

I love your descriptions of place and how you weave our human condition through it with such ease, Dave

David Kirkby's avatar

Thanks Richard

Maybe some day I will just evaporate….

With the dew.

Best Wishes - Dave

School of Blue's avatar

Our impermanence!

Bernadette Geraghty's avatar

Beautiful words that capture the feeling of living in a body that is mainly water but also being spirit🙏 water is very sacred as we might be. This reminded me to pull my head out of my books and go into the sea today!

David Kirkby's avatar

Thank you, dear Bernadette.

Yes! Water is the essence of life....

I hope your day was beautiful!

Best Wishes - Dave :)

Maya Sarin's avatar

Beautiful 🙏🏽 Like Sara, I also particularly love that line!

David Kirkby's avatar

Thank you, dear Maya.

I sometimes think of consciousness as like a standing wave - fragile, ephemeral, comprised of different forces briefly acting in concert....

Best Wishes - Dave :)

Sara Joy Tiberio's avatar

I love the line,

"We are at any moment

only an instant of who we are -

each thought a fragment,

a wave scattered."

such a truthful statement and beautiful way to look at the ever-shifting and transient nature of being human.

David Kirkby's avatar

Thank you, Sara. Consciousness is such a fleeting, ephemeral, astonishing phenomenon...

Best Wishes - Dave :)

Susan Hickman's avatar

Ah the sea. I think we lost so much when humanity moved en masse into cities.