The seas near shore belong to Posidon, the Earthshaker. That was where the Greeks stayed, as their small craft dealt poorly with the deep seas. The seas far from shore where the realm of the Titan Oceanus, a much less friendly divinity.

But I prefer the latter. In shallow water, the coast dominates the view. All eyes are drawn to the beach, to the cliffs, to the distant hills. Most of the time there's nothing impressive to see, but one can't keep but look.

Far from shore, when land is a distant memory, when you remember that dirt covers a minority of the planet... that is where beauty reigns. The sea is a blue so deep it makes painters fools. A blue so rich it turns precious sapphires to dross. Cresting, twisting, stirring, roiling, it is ever changing, but always the same.

At sea, the sky is everywhere. Nothing shields one from the bowl of heaven. A blue so pale it hurts, with puffy white clouds travelling as peacefully as sheep across the vast pasture. The white of the clouds so clear as to make milk seem foul. Squalls form; rain falls in gray sheets, cleaning the earthly filth off we small intruders into the vast seas, leaving crystal clear air behind them.

Then the sun sets. Rose, crimson, orange, pink, lavender... colors spread across the whole west of the world, curtains of color drifting past each other. Clouds, backlit, become mysterious and hallowed.

Beauty resides in the vasty deeps.

Posted by: Boviate at 04:51 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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