The sea as metaphor - Photo of seagulls at a seaside harbour, New Zealand, 2006 by Marie-Claire Holmes. Poem by Langston Hughes from his book Selected Poems, 1959.
Long trip
The sea is a wildnerness of waves
A desert of water
We dip and dive,
rise and roll,
Hide and are hidden
On the sea.
Day, night.
Night, day.
The sea is a desert of waves,
A wilderness of water.
These last few weeks, I have had flashes of deja vu, like living in San Francisco and experiencing the first low rumblings of an earthquake. Seismic shifts: first with health woes; then my computer crashed. That disaster was followed by a rental computer that's tried my patience while manuevering through its quirky minefield of bugs. All this was capped by Typepad's service outage in the midst of writing a piece.
The ground beneath my feet has felt fragile and shaky. I've noticed that many of my friends and fellow bloggers have been undergoing similar shockwaves. While this undercurrent of tension and anxiety expressed is temporary, it seems to reflect the general state of the world. I fully expect that soon we will be standing on firmer ground.
Am off to London to buy a laptop and have surgery. Thank you all for your lovely supportive messages and good wishes. Alas, I will miss participating in the upcoming Sunday Scribblings, One Deep Breath and Poetry Thursday. All being well, back in Paris on the 21st with better health and a working computer! A bientot, mes amis! And Bonne Fete to my French friends celebrating Bastille Day!
Wow, I just re-read your blog, good luck on your surgery and come back to us in one piece.
Posted by: cathy | 21 July 2006 at 15:49
That's a very nice and serene pic and I love the poems by L. Hughes, he is a great inspiration
Posted by: cathy | 21 July 2006 at 15:43
Best of luck...I'll be thinking of you...and you will definitely be missed!
Posted by: Mardougrrl | 21 July 2006 at 05:30
Looking forward to your posts on your return...
your top photo reminded me of "Finding Nemo"... mine mine mine mineminemine mine
Posted by: AscenderRisesAbove | 20 July 2006 at 19:50
Enjoy yourself and we will be waiting on ya. Safe journies.
Posted by: Shannon (Sentimental) | 19 July 2006 at 16:44
Thinking of you and looking forward to your return!
Posted by: Willow Grace | 19 July 2006 at 07:17
Aww. Right when i am back, you are gone! I will miss you, and I said prayers for you last night. I know everything will be just fine!
:)
Posted by: amber | 18 July 2006 at 19:47
Au revoir et bon chance. xoxo
Posted by: Willie | 18 July 2006 at 08:39
Dear Tara,
Just know that you have many friends who wish you well...me being one of them.
Posted by: mary jane | 18 July 2006 at 00:48
I stumbled across your blog while I was doing some online research. I had similar experiences while living in Japan and China. It just goes to show that there is a commonality to our lives and the stresses we encounter, no matter where we live.
Posted by: panasianbiz | 17 July 2006 at 21:14
You'll be missed. Blessings to you and a speedy recovery!
Posted by: Hundred and one | 17 July 2006 at 12:31
Yes wishing you a speedy recovery Tara - until the 21st!
Posted by: bb | 17 July 2006 at 11:46
wish the world over here was as peacefull as the pic...
save humanity,,save lebanon,,
carefull..brutal images...but real...
Posted by: haiderdroubi | 17 July 2006 at 11:45
ps - see you got your priorities right - off to London - first for the computer and then for the surgery!
Posted by: ms*robyn | 17 July 2006 at 09:44
thinking of you, Tara! sending you lots of angels, faeries and blessings to help you recover after surgery! much love always - Robyn xox
Posted by: ms*robyn | 17 July 2006 at 09:39
Tara, hope you have a speedy recovery. I'll be thinking of you.
Posted by: January | 17 July 2006 at 02:24
Prayers and good wishes to you Tara. Hugssssss
Posted by: Cookie | 16 July 2006 at 21:28
my thoughts are with you, Tara. sending you lots and lots of love and best wishes.here's to a speedy recovery! :)
Posted by: madeleinelucygreenhill | 16 July 2006 at 17:04
God speed and may the angels
watch over you.I will keep you in my prayers. You are right as many of us are having stormy days heavy clouds atop us..seems there is a negative energy around the earth!I sure hope this lifts soon! :(
Posted by: naturegirl | 16 July 2006 at 05:25
I'll be thinking of you. I hope everything goes as well as expected.
Posted by: bella | 15 July 2006 at 21:29
Best of luck and many blessings to you, we all await your happy return!
Posted by: Ulla | 15 July 2006 at 17:59
Best wishes for your surgery - I will spare a prayer for the surgeon as well as you.
The photo is beautiful. I keep wondering about Marie-Claire Holmes - who is she? Where do you get the photographs? (And where in New Zealand is this, it looks unfamiliar in a familiar way - I mean the type of landscape is familiar but not the specific place).
Posted by: catherine | 15 July 2006 at 05:37
Hugs and Well wishes from the South! Good vibes))))))are on the way))))))) Pam!
Posted by: Pam ARIES | 14 July 2006 at 22:29
I'll be thinking about you Tara - good luck with it and have a speedy recovery... big hugs to you for your journey x
Posted by: susannah | 14 July 2006 at 21:55
Wishing you a speedy recovery and keeping you in my thoughts.
Posted by: mikim | 14 July 2006 at 18:49
Best wishes for a speedy recovery, Tara. Sending good thoughts and energy...
Posted by: Diana | 14 July 2006 at 17:32
Tara - I'll be praying for you and for wisdom for your doctors and for a quick and comfortable recovery.
Blessings to you!
Kim
Posted by: KimG | 14 July 2006 at 16:51
Traveling mercies. Enjoy London and all its charms. It does seem like the world is particulary tumultous these days - Israel and Beirut and friends with cancer and work tension. But all WILL be well. I'll send up plenty of healing thoughts for you.
Posted by: samantha | 14 July 2006 at 14:50
I'll keep a happy thought for everything in London - and will look forward to you getting back. I know what you mean about the shifts - I've been having trouble posting. I do hope you're right and things will all be more solid soon. xo
Posted by: megg | 14 July 2006 at 14:22
Hugs to you across the Atlantic, Tara!
I hope to be back about the same time...the world has been feeling a bit off lately hasn't it? I wish you well, my friend - you will be in my thoughts and prayers. Au revoir - till we meet again soon!
oxo Bisous,
Tinker
Posted by: tinker | 14 July 2006 at 08:33
I will be praying for you and keeping you in the light. Look forward to your return.
Posted by: yolanda | 14 July 2006 at 06:34
good luck and best wishes. we look forward to reading your entried when you return.
Posted by: Lisa | 14 July 2006 at 02:50
Wishes for a quick and smooth recovery. Can you email me your address so I can mail you a little get well surprise? I'll miss your posts but am sending you warm and speedy get well wishes.
Posted by: Alexandra | 14 July 2006 at 02:42
i'm holding you in the light and wish you a peaceful journey.
Posted by: jzr | 13 July 2006 at 22:47
Take care Tara. I will say a prayer for you and hope you heal quickly. You can do the Bastille Day parties when you return in good health.
Posted by: judie | 13 July 2006 at 22:16
Dear Tara,
I wish you a very happy journey and a very successful surgery and fast recovery from all woes including computer...you would be missed here...
waiting for your return...
Posted by: abhay | 13 July 2006 at 21:13
Best wishes to you with your surgery. I hope you have a speedy recovery, and am wondering if I've missed where you told us what kind of surgery this is.
Safe travels, and I'll miss you!
Posted by: Josephine | 13 July 2006 at 20:40
Thank you for the lovely parting gift. Wishing you well and a safe and happy return. Hugs, Annie
Posted by: annejeffries | 13 July 2006 at 19:57
My loving thoughts and prayers are with you through this geographic and figurative journey. May all be well and peaceful.
Posted by: Rebekah | 13 July 2006 at 19:25
My prayers and friendship are with you. Trusting healing will be yours;
I will be waiting for you, missing all the while your interesting, vast and varied stories and poems, that you weave so faithfuly for us.
Posted by: Tongue in Cheek | 13 July 2006 at 18:15
All well wishes for a smooth surgery, Tara! And, for a wonderful new addition to your computer family! I hope you're back soon -- I'll miss your Sunday Scribbling, and also the regular dose of reminder about the world I get from your site. Especially now, with the huge escalation in Israel and Lebanon. But enough about that -- happy thoughts!
Posted by: Laini | 13 July 2006 at 17:37
That is a beautiful photo and Langston Hughes...oh god, I love him.
I wish you much luck with everything! Earthquakey is a good way of putting things...but yes, I think you're right--we will soon be on more stable ground once again.
Actually, I wish I had an ocean to swim in.
I'm thinking about you!
lots of love,
j.
Posted by: Jessie | 13 July 2006 at 17:23
Tara, I'm bummed I have missed you due to typepad. I want you to know you are in my prayers and heart. You hurry back! You will be missed :) XXOO
Love the pretty picture and poem.
Posted by: Tammy | 13 July 2006 at 16:35
will miss you...
Posted by: jennifer | 13 July 2006 at 16:01
You're in my thoughts Tara. I know the surgery will go well and enjoy your time in London.
Posted by: kristen | 13 July 2006 at 15:45
Bonne chance, Tara. May all be well with you and yours!
Posted by: becca | 13 July 2006 at 14:50
my thoughts and best best best wishes will be with you until we hear from you around the 21st !!
Posted by: diana | 13 July 2006 at 14:00
I'll keep a good thought for you while you're in London. Hang in there.
Posted by: ally bean | 13 July 2006 at 14:00