A blessing, this historic South Shore swell
that wipes out all our news, 

luring us from our screens and houses 

to the shore, with nothing but ocean on our mind 
for once, its energy and power.  

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Bless the seasoned surfers deciding not to enter,
knowing as well what they cannot do  

as what they can, simply watching the giant waves  with joy,
with awe.  

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Bless the foolish amateurs who plow right in, 
GoPros ready, seeing this as their One Big Chance. 
Bless the quiet watermen, alert to rescue them 
from broken boards and bones.  

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Bless Rocky, who’s known such swells before,
calmly nursing her monk pup at Kaimana
and teaching him how to be a seal.  

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Soon we’ll all get back to normal, I suppose, 
taking the ocean’s gifts for granted once again,
letting our flotsam and jetsam rush back in, 
wiping the salty sand from between our toes  

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and turning on the news.

 

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from Bamboo Ridge

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