I was born in the alps in a small village, between Austria and Italy and the Adriatic Sea, even though it was only a 3-hour drive, seemed to be a million miles away from our farm. I had seen pictures and I couldn’t wait to see it real. Finally, we drove down toward Venice and I stood on the beach and looked at the ocean. As much as I loved the mountains, I felt drawn to the sea as well; I loved the water. 

A few years later, when I was a teenager, a friend from school invited me to spend the summer with  her and her family on a small Island in Germany, called Amrum. I had never heard of it, I just knew that it was in the North Sea and I couldn’t wait to spend a summer on the beach.

The beach was different, it wasn’t flat, there were sand dunes and grass…lots of it. There were times when the water was gone. I had heard about tides, but I didn’t expect it to be like that. It looked like the ocean just disappeared and left behind a mess of mud and sand and the people loved it.

People with backpacks walked from one island to the next; I watched this all in absolute disbelief.  I wanted to swim and I had to wait until the ocean decided to come back. 🙂

I got used to it and loved the island. It was a beautiful summer and to this day, I treasure the memories I made that year. Maybe that’s the reason why I love the following poem so much.

SEA OF LIFE

This is not the end, my friend.
Just as the ocean sings songs to infinity
Our friendship too will flow onward
Until the day one of us
Turns and leaves
And the seasons will turn too
As our shells
As they return back to sand
And the tides that brought us
Forth
Will take us back
Again.

I will never leave you, my friend.
Every time you see a wave rushing to
Meet another,
Two friends unite.
Every time you see a wave crashing,
Two friends depart.
The journey will go on, my friend.
Our memories are recorded
In seashells
To show and tell
The lessons learned
In these heavens and hells
Part of this sea of life –
And when the tide is right,
We shall cross paths again
When the ocean sings our song.

Poetry by Suzy Kassem

Beach