Walking on the Beach

Tracks and Paths

Another storm disturbs the air.
I no longer care.
Whatever happens here or there,
The good will ever carry on.

Some of it may wash away.
Some may stay for just a day
Like a fantasy or play
That’s present even when it’s gone.

Linked to dVerse Quadrille hosted by De Jackson aka WhimsyGizmo using the word “storm”.
Photo: “Tracks and Paths” by the author. Linked to K’lee and Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge with theme “stay on the path” with the bird illustrating how not to do this.

Author: Frank Hubeny

I enjoy walking, poetry and short prose as well as taking pictures with my phone.

90 thoughts on “Walking on the Beach”

    1. The beach can be inspirational even though there doesn’t seem to be much there but a lot of water, a lot of sand and sometimes a lot of creatures enjoying it. Thanks!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Aw, c’mon, Frank! Walk the shore of Lake Michigan when a storm is in full fury – how I miss that rage and granduer. The Atlantic just isn’t the same. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      2. They are different, however, I usually get off the shore when it’s raining. I remember staying at a cottage off Green Bay near Door County (Wisconsin) in the winter some years ago. People drove their trucks on the frozen bay for ice fishing. Of course they did that in Maine as well. Sometimes they didn’t get their trucks off in time when spring came. All of this water in a storm is so amazing I try to get out of the way while at the same time wanting to see it up close. 🙂

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    1. I did have politics in mind with this one hoping that good carries on although I normally don’t write political poems. Thank you, Sarah!

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  8. The brevity of the lines and the regularity of the rhymes counterplay to illustrate the meaning, Frank –
    the tension between ‘The good will ever carry on’ and ‘Some of it may wash away’.

    Liked by 2 people

  9. This is fantastic, Frank. This should be on a plaque in every home, like the “footprints in the sand” poem. Excellent work.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’m glad you liked it, Dale. I was hoping it would work for “stay on the path” although that bird was making its own path. Thanks for setting up the photography prompts.

      Liked by 1 person

  15. There will always be storms of one kind or another. We weather them as best we can, and let those we can do nothing about just wash away, to leave room for the goodness to prevail. Very good thoughts here in your poem.

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  16. Your rhyme scheme is catchy–aaab–cccb; is it your form? Puts me in mind of the Jimi Hendrix song about sand castles washing away. When I’m by the sea, I feel fully connected to our starting point, like a revisit to the womb, or primordial dreams.

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    1. It is not my form. I think I’ve seen it used before. I wanted something different for the common meter I was using lately for these quadrilles. Visits to the sea are very nice. I also like forest walks, but walking along the beach in the early mornings is one of favorite activities.

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    1. The storms are challenges. Some are not easy to face. I can see how that would lead to pessimism because it is pessimistic but hopefully only on a temporary basis. Thanks!

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  24. “Another storm disturbs the air. / I no longer care.” Reading the lines I asked why only to find the answers at the end of the stanza. We need to and must have Faith in the positive outcome of everything. Love the rhyme.

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    1. Those first two lines needed to be resolved or explained in some way. I wasn’t sure how they would be when I started the poem. I am glad you enjoyed the rhyme. Thanks, Sumana!

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    1. Making it exactly 44 words long adds to the challenge of meter and rhyme, but constraints usually require one to think more about the wording and looking for something better that fits the constraints. I like the additional 44 word limit. It gets me out of a rut when the meter flows too easily. Thanks!

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  27. “Another storm disturbs the air….
    The good will carry on….
    Especially meaningful in these days when we are assaulted with negative headlines and news —
    As your explanation of the image says, stay on track… we must continue to believe in the good.

    Liked by 1 person

  33. Hey Frank:

    Cute rhyme and perfect for these verses. I too love the concept of all washing away but something remaining, as would in a play. It acknowledge that the world is not human centered, yet gives us desire to participate in things of value, even though they too may largely wash away.

    It has element of Shiva’s Lila: Not sure if you know the Hindu discussion on “Play”, check out the link.

    BTW, in your comment on my poem, if you’d clicked on the link below the poem — the inspiration of the poem — you’d have seen why I choose New Age and not just any other ideology.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I wasn’t thinking of Lila, but I think that would work here.

      After rereading your poem, I noticed the link to Tim Minchin’s Storm the Animated Movie. I am about half way through with it. I like his narration, but I think Storm is closer to the truth than Minchin. Just one point, about 4:26 into the video, he says there’s no such thing as an “aura”, but I suspect even you can see it, if you look right. Put your hand with fingers spread out against a white wall and gaze at the outline of your fingers for a minute or so. You should start seeing some light around the fingers. Eventually there are colors as well. I would call that an aura.

      With regard to your poem, I still think you could replace “New Age” with any ideology. You would need to add more to your poem to make it relevant to only New Age thinking. But your point is well taken: any ideology will appear as a “storm” to those listening to it who do not agree with it. That is how it should be if we want to reach the truth rapidly. We need to be motivated. That means we arrive at truth by rationalizing our prior choices of what to believe, not by reasoning without the guide of those prior choices. I am getting some of this idea from Jonathan Haidt’s “The Righteous Mind”. He’s not New Age, so he is safe to read, but his theory of innate moral foundations might seem stormy to those with a different view of morality.

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      1. The aura in your fingers made me chuckle.
        I’ve read Haidt’s political category stuff, BTW.
        It is of course true, we rationalize our prior choices. I am a person who has given up many prior choices, so I am bad at that it seems.
        See my Confession Tales as some examples. “Even you” may see the points.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Thanks for responding, Sabio. It’s nice to know that the idea of the aura in your fingers made you chuckle. But did you see it or not? If not, I could suggest other ways for you to see this since it is not a normal way to look at objects. The reason to bring it up: if Minchin is wrong about this, he might be wrong about other things as well.

        I have disagreements with Haidt when it comes to his evolutionary theory, but I have to accept the data he comes up with. Basically, I don’t think there are two levels of evolution, one of selfish individuals and the other group based. I think there is only group based, altruistic not selfish, evolution. It makes the theory simpler. It is a good thing that we rationalize prior choices. It gets to the truth faster when we are personally motivated especially when we become stormy when hearing opposing viewpoints.

        I just read some of your Confession Tales especially about your early life. You seem to have been more political than I was when younger. Although I often vote Democratic, I don’t associate with political ideologies except indirectly.

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  35. sMiLes mY FriEnd..
    Watching a squirrel
    munching stored
    Acorns NoW on
    Adirondack Bench
    Wasp foraGinG for
    Nectar Free iN ClerodenDrum
    piNk i AM reminded that Direct
    TV and sPin of PoliTics iS nOWheRE
    to be found
    in Naked
    Wings
    of
    Barefoot
    Forest Sand Alive
    LiVinG SurViVinG SuN
    LiT as iF the eNtire HuMaN
    Race iS JuST a DreAM thaT NeVer exists..
    Houseless
    Carless
    HomeFuLL
    alWays DanCinG
    SinGinG LiVinG LIGht
    iN eYes of Squirrels and Wasps
    Unshielded from vise of Greek Apocalypse
    iN iGnorance..
    No wHEre to FlY
    And CliMB buT LiFE mY
    friEnd.. Frank.. as HiGher
    Trees oF FLoWeRs LiGht..:)

    Liked by 1 person

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