Wednesday, June 10, 2009

By the Sea

We spent the day at the beach today. "The Beach," whatever beach it may be, will always be one of my favorite places in the world. It never fails to send me into a variety of moods. For a few minutes, it will make me feel like a little girl, and I'll splash through the waves and run across the sand to find a quiet spot to read or write (I had an obsession with quiet spots and hidey-holes when I was younger... I still do). Then watching the sea from afar will put me in a meditative, somber mood, which is good for journaling and writing poetry.

And then when I'm standing on the shoreline, watching a wave approaching, my mind begins to take a more morbid path. "It's coming to take me," I always think, as the wave gets closer.

It doesn't help at all that in one of my favorite murder mysteries, Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers, a body is discovered at the seaside. (I highly recommend the book, by the way. And the miniseries with Harriet Walter and Edward Petherbridge.) Something about the cry of a sea gull will always be linked in my mind with death.

9 comments:

Alyosha said...

Poetry? Poetry? :D

Heh, for me it's the exact opposite--seagulls remind me of summer holidays, Cair Paravel, playing with my loud young cousins in the sand.

I do feel sorry for those who don't have an ocean in their general vicinity...

*idly wonders if the title is a sign that Delaney has been listening to Sweeney Todd*

Lovely post :)

Adonnenniel said...

I'm going to get the Dorothy Sayers book from the library...

I love the beach! Glad you got to go!

Delaney said...

Aly - Haha! No, the title is actually taken from a song on a Disney-sing-along. I'm sure Sweeney Todd would have fit my dark mood much better. ;)

Addie - Hurrah! Remember to read Strong Poison first... Strong Poison, Have His Carcase and Gaudy Night are a sort of set... but it doesn't really matter if you skip Strong Poison, I suppose.

Grace K. said...

Sweeney Todd? Sweeney Todd? *comes back to life and Delaney's blog, very, very shamefully belatedly* Wow... *beamused* Lot of "ly"s... :D

BY the Sea!! Hooray for waves, sea gulls, sand in your hair and Cair Paravel! Hm, I agree with both of you, Delaney and Alyosha...the sea mainly to me is half absolute bedlam and wonderfully carefree, dancing in the sand in a light, airy frock and laughing in the lovely shining sun...and then it is restful and soothing, perfect for soaking up much-needed sunshine and Vitamin D, while feeling perfectly happy and voraciously brilliant. It's amazing, the things that come tumbling out of one's self onto paper when surrounded by water, keen, fresh air and sunlight. :D

My...don't I wax poetic? *grins cheerfully and kicks off shoes, and goes floating off on the waves at the shores of Cair Paravel, mermaids swimming about her* Ooh, look: there's Peter! *waves* ;)

I've no idea why I'm in such a randomly cheerful-more-like-my-old-self-from-the-forum mood...especially as my mum just went to hospital for tests for her heart, but I am! :) Hm, must be because I'm listening to the Flying music from the 2003 Peter Pan (best music for flying EVER - don't ask me how I know: it's a secret... :D )

*sigh* Feeling absurdly happy now. Thanks Delaney. *hugs her tightly* I've missed your blog! And you! I wish we knew each other in real life...but California is a long way off. Not as far away as Middle-Earth, Neverland or Narnia, but those are in my back yard. *smiles* What say you to packing your magic carpet bag and floating on over here for a visit?

Ooh...mystery stories! *scribbles down titles* :D

Grace K. said...

Delaney! *GLOMPS* I've missed you! *blushes* Well, no you haven't, not lately, but I've been such a terrible friend and cousin - I haven't commented on yours in ages! *weeps* Forgive me... *puppy dog eyes*

Heehee, I know! They ROCK

McKay said...

The sea, and other vast, wild bodies of water, are both serene and magical, yet bittersweet, with a hint of long ago sorrow.

When I came across this in one of Belloc's collections of essays, I immediately copied it down and I thought that I would share it with you. I think you'll appreciate it.

"The sea is the consolation of this our day, as it has been the consolation of the centuries.
The sea is the matrix of creation, and we have the memory of it in our blood.
But far more than this is there in the sea.
It presents, upon the greatest scale we mortals can bear, those not mortal powers which brought us into being. It is not only the symbol or the mirror, but especially it is the messenger of the Divine."

"... All that which concerns the sea is profound and final."

Hilaire Belloc

Delaney said...

Wow.... Thank you for that, McKay.

The Real Katie said...

Hey! I just gave you an award over on Shakespeare & Showtunes :)

Jingles said...

I like it the most to read when come across here..
So now wana thanks for sharing