wanting the sea

"Connecticut Shore, Winter" by John Henry Twachtman
“Connecticut Shore, Winter” by John Henry Twachtman

Searching my heart for its true sorrow,
 This is the thing I find to be:
That I am weary of words and people,
Sick of the city, wanting the sea;

Wanting the sticky, salty sweetness
Of the strong wind and shattered spray;
Wanting the loud sound and the soft sound
Of the big surf that breaks all day.

Always before about my dooryard,
Marking the reach of the winter sea,
Rooted in sand and dragging drift-wood,
Straggled the purple wild sweet-pea.

~ Edna St. Vincent Millay
(Exiled)

 Where Mermaids Arrange their Hair

17 thoughts on “wanting the sea”

  1. Waiting by the sea and listening to the soft words of this sweet pea poem. Hope you had a Merry Christmas, Barbara, and may 2013 be a good one for you.

    1. Thank you, Kathy. We had a lovely long Christmas reconnecting with family and feel refreshed enough to take on the New Year, whatever it may bring. I hope your holiday was merry and wonderful and sending you and your loved ones many blessings for the New Year!

  2. This painting reminds me of the tall masted ships that were on display at Navy Pier (Chicago) several years ago. They were absolutely fascinating. May your New Year be filled with health and joy!

    1. Thank you, Laurie! I saw Lake Ontario once, and was amazed how much it looked like and had waves like the ocean, yet smelled like a pond, missing that “sticky, salty sweetness.” Seeing the tall ships on Lake Michigan must have a sight to behold!

  3. Beautiful. I was so fascinated to see that Edna St. Vincent Millay wrote the poem. I also need to hear the crashing sound of the waves and feel of the salt on my cheeks…
    I don’t know what wild purple sweet pea looks like. Do you?

      1. Thanks so much for including the link to your picture and delightful blog post, Amy-Lynn. I added a link to your post above in my post. 🙂 I’m so happy you enjoyed the sea poem – Edna was a native of Maine, another coastal state, south of your Nova Scotia and north of my Connecticut. Wishing you a happy and healthy New Year, too!

    1. Rosie, Edna St. Vincent Millay was one of my earliest favorite poets, and I was happy to see one of her poems in a poetry of the sea collection I bought recently. Having too much fun finding paintings to go with some of these poems. We have lots of beach pea native to this area…

    1. Thank you, Val! Winter snowlight is extra special and I’m dazzled by artists who manage to capture it so well. Wishing you and your husband a healthy and happy New Year, too!

    1. Thank you, Colleen! And we are wishing you and your loved ones a happy, healthy and wonder-filled New Year, too!

  4. Wanting the sea. So badly. I love the salty, sticky feeling. The sound of waves, the shore, the sun, the sand and everything associated with it. Nice poem. Thank you so much for sharing it.

    1. You’re welcome, my sea sister! When away from the salt air we feel that passionate longing, the yearning for the sound of a wave, the warmth of the sun or the chill of a windy gray day, the little footprints and shell treasures in the sand……

    1. Really, Jane? Edna was my favorite until I discovered Emily, who bumped her down to second favorite poet. 🙂

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