Touching the Wall

Today I had a lovely morning on the beach at San Simeon "cove" (aka W.R. Hearst State Beach), ritually offering to the sea holy water that has been prayed over, blessed, and on my altar exactly one year for one bottle (Cambria water I took to a Medicine for the Earth workshop April 17/18/19, 2009), and the other from Summer Solstice last year of cave water from California Caverns in the Central Sierras (I used to work there as a tour guide).

I knew it was time for these holy waters to be added to our Mother Ocean, but didn't realize until just now, writing this post, that the first bottle was EXACTLY one year from its initial blessing and transmutation, and today was the day I was strongly inspired to release these waters into the ocean. Wow!! Also, the cave water demanded that I release it into a nearby sea cave in a little standing pool, whereas the Medicine for the Earth bottle wanted to be released on the beach near a sea wall as a surge came in and then took the holy water out.

Prior to the release of the holy waters, having been blessed by sea water myself while visiting the inside of a sea cave (suddenly I found myself inundated by an incoming wave!), and now sitting and eating my ceremonial meal, beach strollers passed by me and it was quite obvious that they were headed straight for the "wall" to touch it before turning around.

You see, on this particular beach there is a sea wall that ends the beach and one must turn back at that point. At low tide there are some really fun little sea caves that can be explored, and at really low tide a hidden beach with more sea caves opens up. When I walk here, it is a given that I go all the way to the "wall" and touch it before returning. If for any reason I don't, my beach walk feels incomplete. Therefore, it is rare that I don't touch the wall. Turns out I'm not the only one who does this, which has tickled me to no end since encountering quite a number of strollers who do the same!!

So, having brought a journal and pen along with me, I was inspired to write a poem about this wall-touching phenomena, which I share with you now. Enjoy!

Touching the Wall

A leisurely stroll,
footprints in the sand,
cool water washing
over bare feet.

A feast for the senses:
salt air, talking gulls,
waves crashing, loons and
kayakers floating on the water,
grebes probing the sand,
warmth of the sun.

Treasures abound:
sand dollars, sea glass
shells and stones,
driftwood.

Low tide reveals
star fish and mussels clinging,
squishy and colorful sea anemones,
plus chances to peak
into sea caves.

As the beaches end
is reached,
strollers here are called,
pulled,
to touch the wall
before returning.