Afterward
He paddles shoreward
after waves and calm
have bestowed their gifts
his strong body spent
from joyful work
in the crisp breakers
He takes time before
leaving the long beach
to search the sand stretch
for a driftwood piece
smaller than his palm
smoothed by many tides
a salty wafer
of cedar or fir
or pine or hemlock
long on the ocean
its journey unknown
ending in his hand
He climbs the bluff trail
among twisted pines
the breeze whispering
of morning over
Only briefly the
memories intrude
of helicopters
over rice paddies
and machine-gun fire
He clutches the smooth flake
a light talisman
relives sea pleasure
the steep plunging drops
weightless, driving turns
racing the long wall
for sacred seconds
man and wave as one
He brings morning home
in a damp pocket and before twilight
mates test line and wood
hangs it carefully
among the others
to sway in light wind
and billowing storm
He tells visitors
often curious
about the array
Some ask if this is
some found-object art
or decoration
perhaps silent chimes
He only murmers
with a distant gaze
These are the light bones
of my quiet life
spent on water
“Afterward” is one of a collection of surf poems published previously by the author in Turn Your Back on the Shore, which is available on Amazon.
Scott Rosin lives on a working tree farm high in the Oregon Coast Range. His poetry is influenced equally by early exposure to surfing and to classical and modern literature and later by hard labor as a wildland firefighter, smokejumper, timber faller, and tree planter. Twenty years ago, Rosin was known internationally as a surf poet. His poetry now often includes more environmental themes. Rosin’s latest book is “Turn Your Back on the Shore,” which is on Amazon. His website is at https://scottrosinauthor.com.
He paddles shoreward
after waves and calm
have bestowed their gifts
his strong body spent
from joyful work
in the crisp breakers
He takes time before
leaving the long beach
to search the sand stretch
for a driftwood piece
smaller than his palm
smoothed by many tides
a salty wafer
of cedar or fir
or pine or hemlock
long on the ocean
its journey unknown
ending in his hand
He climbs the bluff trail
among twisted pines
the breeze whispering
of morning over
Only briefly the
memories intrude
of helicopters
over rice paddies
and machine-gun fire
He clutches the smooth flake
a light talisman
relives sea pleasure
the steep plunging drops
weightless, driving turns
racing the long wall
for sacred seconds
man and wave as one
He brings morning home
in a damp pocket and before twilight
mates test line and wood
hangs it carefully
among the others
to sway in light wind
and billowing storm
He tells visitors
often curious
about the array
Some ask if this is
some found-object art
or decoration
perhaps silent chimes
He only murmers
with a distant gaze
These are the light bones
of my quiet life
spent on water
“Afterward” is one of a collection of surf poems published previously by the author in Turn Your Back on the Shore, which is available on Amazon.
Scott Rosin lives on a working tree farm high in the Oregon Coast Range. His poetry is influenced equally by early exposure to surfing and to classical and modern literature and later by hard labor as a wildland firefighter, smokejumper, timber faller, and tree planter. Twenty years ago, Rosin was known internationally as a surf poet. His poetry now often includes more environmental themes. Rosin’s latest book is “Turn Your Back on the Shore,” which is on Amazon. His website is at https://scottrosinauthor.com.
