"The Ocean," she describes,
"Is unlike all else
A second, thriving world
Hidden in itself,

"A universe, an entity,
Stronger than most,
It can't be captured,
Confined, upon any one coast

"It's a playmate, a home,
A source of life,
A breathtaking beauty-
When seen from the side…

"But in the middle of its core
With no land in sight,
The Ocean is treacherous
Even when right

"At any one moment
In the calmest of seas,
A storm can arise
That brings you to your knees

"Tears, screams, fighting,
It won't turn the tides
The Sea churns its own way
Once you are inside

"You can't stop the waves from rolling,
No one can;
You can't cage the currents
Or hold them in your hand,

"The Ocean claims the lives
Of those that dare cross it
And should you look for land
You'll find you've had lost it

"It pulls you in mercilessly,
Cradling, and clawing,
A little of both
In each breath you are drawing,

"It's a life force, and death
The honesty of nature,
Hidden in every shell
Each reef, every fissure

"To be respected, and feared,
A power like no other,"
She looked at her hands,
And she started to shudder.

"Never to be controlled,
But will control us in turn,
The fury of water can scorch us,
Can burn…

"You're never the same,
After you swim,"
She took a breath from explaining,
Conflict, and turmoil, within.

"It's eighty percent of our world,
To some even more,
It gives us all life,
But commands even more

"The only force yet
To be tamed by man,
He doesn't understand
It's path over the sand

"The Ocean," she whispered,
"Is a terrible thing,
Beautiful, miraculous,
But a dangerous dream…

"No hostages, no quarter…
To withstand the journey,
You must have sheer will,
And be just enough crazy

"The Ocean," she said,
"Makes you feel small,
It's bigger than prejudice,
Than reason, than law

"The Ocean," she shivered,
"I only just found,
Is the only thing in this life
As equally profound…

"As love," she breathed,
"And here, as I sit,
Describing its powers,
Am I realizing it…

"So wild, so thrilling,
So dark, so beautiful,
So twisted, so intense,
So 'winner takes all',

"The Ocean is vast,
And as fickle as the heart
And once it catches you
It won't let you part

"Even if you want to…"
A drop of water spills from her eye
Her own bit of Ocean,
Falling from lidded green sky

"Love and the Ocean,
I understand now…
We don't choose how we feel
Nor how the storm howls..."

She describes all this,
On the edge of her boat
If she were to jump
Would she sink… or float?

Would the Sea deem her worthy,
And shelter her from strife?
Or would diving in be the final
Forfeit of her life?

Tear after tear
Fell into the waves
Love flowing,
No cry does she save

"It doesn't matter," she decides,
Falling inside
The coolness, and warmth
Wraps her into the tides

Yes, the Ocean is a force,
Not to be careless of,
But so is the force
Of a woman in love

What happens to her now,
Only the Ocean can say
But until it chooses
Here, she will stay.

And she, nor no one else
Can ever hope to tame…
The wild churning, deep within,
Caused just by his name…