I dip my head in the ocean
The warm salt water washes the pain away
Months of sorrow
Months of anguish
Wash away

I float on my back
Listen to the ocean
I feel supported by the gentle waves

Water has this cleansing effect
My spirit feels uplifted
I dip my hair in the water
And I turn the page again

Should I forget the past?
Should I forget the pain?
No, but move on I should
A new wind is blowing today

I hear the sound of laughter
See brilliant white smiles
On dark faces
Hair braided with colourful beads
This also helps me wash the pain away

The sing song voice
The slow cadence
The gentle demeanor
The no hurry ways
This is what my soul was craving for
I feel at home
I feel whole again

Lida Berghuis
July 13th, 2010
St. Maarten

Some people are drawn to the comfort of the familiar
I crave discomfort

Some people want to stay close to home
Where there is certainty
I crave uncertainty

Some people run from the unfamiliar
I crave unfamiliarity

I want to stretch the boundaries of my spirit
I want to drown in someone else’’s world
I want to fly away from home
And see the beauty that awaits me somewhere else
I’ve seen the familiar
I know the familiar

I crave change

I want to see the world from someone else’s eyes
I want to listen to the stories of their lives

There is a surprise around every bend
There are so many lessons to be learned

And the more stories I hear
The clearer it becomes
I’m among my sisters and brothers
No matter what the clime

And I discover that
There is familiarity in the unfamiliar
Flight in the fall
And love in loss

Lida Berghuis
July 14th, 2010
St. Maarten