Day 22, Small Pause, "The Sea and Me" Guest Blogger

I am delighted to share Today's Small Pause written by Antony Millen. Antony is Pictou County-born who lives and writes in New Zealand.

"Lines Spoken in Meditation at Foxton Beach"

I’d been staying in Palmerston North, an inland city in the North Island of New Zealand, three hours away from my home in Taumarunui. After finishing some business in the city one morning, I spontaneously turned left instead of right and continued until I’d reach the seaside settlement of Foxton Beach.


It was a blustery, grey winter morning here in the southern hemisphere and the beach was empty apart from me and the seagulls.


As I stood at the precipice where coast meets water, I looked out at the expansive view of surf and sky and listened to the winds and the gulls.


All of it seemed to warrant my attention – the gulls were obviously used to human contact and expected some sort of sustenance. The ocean waved at me, drawing my gaze higher and further – to a disquieting vista, one that overwhelmed in its enormity, especially in the isolation of my moment.


The seagulls offered me a safe option – smaller activity, shapely and contained, a particular curiosity and entertaining.


The sea offered me more and, I thought, too much more – enormous engagement, vast and unwieldy, a universal wildness and intimidating.


I was reminded of the words of the Baptist: “He must increase, but I must decrease” and sensed annihilation, a swallowing of a whale. But, in that, I also sensed that if I looked to the sea, if I lingered and tarried, I might discover more in the depths – something that at first looks like death but leads to life, an awareness of my universe, my world, my humanity and all that is daunting and inspiring and beautiful in them.

Antony

Thanks so much for sharing Antony!


Antony Millen is originally from Pictou County, Nova Scotia and a fellow member of the Lamey family. He is a gifted writer who now lives and writes in New Zealand and is the author of the novels, "Redeeming Brother Murrihy" and "Te Kauhanga". You can find out more about his books and read Antony's blog at: http://antonymillen.wordpress.com/.

You can also follow Antony on Facebook or Twitter.

P.S. Please feel free to comment or add your own "Small Pause" in the comment section below!