Gather people
for a story
so profound,
Not created by me,
But a rare, rare reality,
Where forces so profound converged,
Generations forward
were forever altered.
Where one person's heroics
were another's fatal error
Where a family's love
was smothered
in
the churning waters
of Big Lagoon.
Big Lagoon sits
north of Agate Beach
shining treasures can be found
in the gathering sands
To the west,
The ocean rises and falls
To the east,
The lagoon's placid grassy waters roll.
It was an Indian Summer's warm, warm day,
Everything it promised was delivered.
Two days after Thanksgiving,
I remember it well,
the fog was gone,
the sun was high.
A family dog beach walk
Howard and Mary,
Olivia,
Gregory, every one called him Geddie,
Geddie's girlfriend, Lily.
The family dog, Fran, chasing sticks
in the ocean and in the sand.
Time stopped for
a diamond moment,
sun reflecting off the ocean.
To chase a stick
Fran ran
a ten foot wave
took her under.
Geddie ankle deep edged forward
when within that frozen moment
another giant wave emerged
the cliff that is the sand gave in,
in the merciless embrace
of the terrible wave,
He was pulled under.
Down the beach
Howard ran
plunged into the waters
to save his son,
He only found
Kingdom come.
While Geddie made his way
out of those frozen waters
and could not find his father,
Called by what unknown voice,
He dove back under,
Not to be found
for hours and miles later.
What is the power of love
which would propel each one?
Mary watching this unfold
could not abide their fate
and herself plunged in
for one last attempt
at saving grace.
The ocean says
"Many have fallen in
but few survive."
Mary and Howard
rolled
in and out
in that frozen water's breath.
While Olivia and Lily
frantically
called 911
and struggled on the beach
out of reach.
The power of the ocean
the power of love
had made three
one.
30 minutes later
Fran ran out
looking to play
one more round.
If by the Pacific Ocean
you stand
see urgent footprints
in the sand,
By chance
you hear the plaintive cry
of
"Marco Polo"
voices calling to one another,
It is the ocean singing
their last lullaby.
A true story, happened 2014 at Big Lagoon, on the Northern California coast, not far from where I sit.
This family was physically fit, marathon runners. Humboldt residents who had taken these walks, daily - weekly, not strangers to the ocean.