The Foreshore
by Talia Gul, Sirius College
Finalist, Years 11 – 12, written poetry
I gaze at the shoreline
Sand grating between my toes
Waves rush forward and retreat back towards the horizon
Failing to reach where I stand
The brilliant azure of the ocean calls me
And I crave to feel the cool tingle of the sea
The freedom of its expanse
Although they are planted firm
Finding hollow reassurance on land
I finally lift my feet and move my legs
And the waves seem to draw closer
I hurry towards them, eager to meet the sea foam
To plant my step in the welcoming chill of the shore
But as I should contact the water
The waves recede
Away
From me
I chase the sea
But with each step I take
It takes one back
Reminding me that no matter how much I run
I will never be able to reach its crisp grace, freeing swathe
Or any of the glory I assume it holds
I will simply be stuck
In an endless pursuit
For an unobtainable ideal
I am running
Until the sea is towering over me
Many times my height
I am breathless
I am exhausted
I am blind
To why I am still running
Finally
I stop
The ocean pauses
And charges back down on me
Engulfing me in a current
I am powerless against
An enormous pressure
Turning me into a ragdoll
I have become the oceans puppet
As the result of my hopeless chase
I close my eyes
And let the sea consume me
I rest
And feel weightless
When I open my eyes
I realise
I am standing at the foreshore
With my feet in the water
Up to my ankles.
Want to read more poems? Explore the other Years 11 – 12 finalists.