Hearts and scars and crashing waves;
pacific sun that warms our days.
Look ahead and trade one shade of blue for another,
walk away from lonely and make the ocean your lover.
Laughter rings out from days gone by;
throw away memories that made you cry.
Find a wet seashell and put it in your pocket;
smooth it with your fingers - it's your heart's new locket.
Drop a tear in the ocean and make it your last;
the future escapes you when you live in the past.
Ships on the horizon sail off to distant shores;
catch one if you can - make a new dream yours.
Turn your back on the continent and look out to the sea:
out beyond the breakers is where your soul can be free.
Listen to the silence before a wave crashes down;
this is your life that the ocean surrounds.
Let the water catch your tears and quiet your soul;
breathe in the sea air that makes your spirit whole.
Journeys and dreams and crashing waves;
pacific sun that warms our days.
Written for the Olympiad of the Arts and first published in 2005.
