Pic and a Word #220: My two shorelines

• Manja Maksimovič

Today I had to use Patrick’s first two lines as the starter for my poem. Are these my two shorelines, I wonder.

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Two shorelines

“Sooner or later
We all come to the shoreline”
Patrick Jennings

Sooner or later
we all come to the shoreline
that will be our last.

Shore –
that our lifeline ends,
of course –
that it runs its course.

Just like some fail
to yield more than two dates
in their lifetimes –
even if it kills them –

we only have two shores:
the current
and the undercurrent.

In the photo part, my two shores in images: first the tiny Slovenian coast on the Adriatic sea, and then my Costa d’Argento, the Silver Coast, here in southern Tuscany.

  • The view from the St. George’s Parish Church above Piran to the south over the Bay of Piran. That land across is already Croatia.
  • The same Croatia in view from Bernardin.
  • This is Piran on its tiny peninsula and happy pest bathing.
  • More of them under the church.
  • The view north: Izola used to be an island (nooo, really?). In the back it’s already Italy.
  • Now let’s move to the west coast of Italy. I don’t think this is a shoreline that Patrick had in mind.
  • Here we encounter a lagoon with the road across leading from Orbetello to the Monte Argentario peninsula.
  • The view of the lagoon from the monastery half way up Monte Argentario.
  • The view north: there it is, Monte Argentario in the back, and the only snow on the beach (and anywhere near) in seven years. This was in February 2018.
  • The view south. Not the snow but the foam.
  • After high tide the beach seems almost clean. But this was one year after I landed, in 2014. The ruins in the centre are of the Roman settlement Cosa.
  • Last summer we discovered this lovely stretch of Costa d’Argento: Cala del Gesso. The largest waves I ever challenged.

In response to Patrick Jennings’ Pic and a Word Challenge #220: Shoreline

17 thoughts on “Pic and a Word #220: My two shorelines”

      1. Don’t be so critical. I love the poem.
        Btw, i don’t remember seeing you on my previous post, I know you read the story on Tweeter. I was waitining to tell sth. Anyway, remember when I told u to wait for Feb? Well, these are the guys I was talking about. Do try Elephants Never. A very supportive bunch of people and not very demanding. They publish diverse voices, which is great.

        Liked by 1 person

  3. Pingback: Mass ~ Pic and a Word Challenge #221 – Pix to Words

  4. we only have two shores:
    the current
    and the undercurrent.

    ❤

    I'm not sure how to interpret that stanza. It changes in my mind even as I read it. That's a good thing — it's good to have your cage poetically rattled now and a gain. And I love every interpretation. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
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Happy to learn the first thing on your mind.

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