The Sea, the Sea

Midsummer contemplations and a poem by Giorgos Seferis

Photo by Thomas Vimare on Unsplash

Dear reader,

Midsummer is well underway, and the siren call of the sea fairies grows ever louder. With heatwaves in full force, the cool, refreshing waters are as inviting as ever. The vast, open horizon before us is alluring and soothing, demanding our utter focus and reverence. The call of the sea is irresistible during this time of year, beckoning us to revel in its tranquil embrace and lose ourselves in its timeless beauty.

But the sea is not only that which lies before us but also within: it is the embodiment of our very emotions - the flames of our passions, the ebb and flow of our disappointments and delusions. The sea is the mirror of our human condition, representing the ego's tidal waves that crash against the impediments, harshness, and eventual inevitability of life. To gaze out at the waves is to glimpse at the reflection of our own souls, shaped by the tides of happiness, sorrow, triumph, and despair.

The sea is a metaphor for our lives: it is the ever-shifting currents that drag us, carry us, and steer us either closer or farther away from our wishes and dreams. At times, the sea prevents us from drowning in its tribulations yet other times it is what ultimately thrusts us into the abyss.

As kids, we often take the sea for granted; a constant, welcoming presence, eager to offer us moments of joy and carefree lightness. As restless adolescents, we may see the sea merely as a playground, a backdrop for our pursuit of romantic entanglements and displays of physical prowess. The beach becomes a stage upon which we parade the well-sculpted bodies we’ve been catering to all winter long.

But as we grow into adulthood, the sea takes on a deeper significance: it becomes our savior, a refuge from the ever-expanding worries and never-ending demands of our lives. Maybe then do we realize the truth of the immortal aphorism: the cure for everything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea.¹

Wishing you a happy summer holiday with a few stanzas by Giorgos Seferis’ “Mythistorema”² (Novel) poem translated by Edmund Keeley:

Hydra

Dolphins banners and the sound of cannons.

The sea once so bitter to your soul

bore the many-coloured and glittering ships

it swayed, rolled and tossed them, all blue with white wings,

once so bitter to your soul

now full of colours in the sun.

White sails and sunlight and wet oars

struck with a rhythm of drums on stilled waves.

Your eyes, watching, would be beautiful,

your arms, reaching out, would glow,

your lips would come alive, as they used to,

at such a miracle:

that’s what you were looking for

                                           what were you looking for in front of ashes

or in the rain in the fog in the wind

even when the lights were growing dim

and the city was sinking and on the stone pavement

the Nazarene showed you his heart,

what were you looking for? why don’t you come? what were you looking for?

Thank you for reading,

Katerina

1. Quote attributed to Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen)

2. You can read it all online here: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/51457/mythistorema