The ocean reminds me of
my grandfather.
I didn't know him well;
my fondest memory
scattering his ashes
and rose pedals
across the Pacific.
He lived in Santa Cruz,
I lived in Jersey.
Opposite coasts carrying
the same water
the same spirits
so I look out at the sea
and see his hand wave in the ripples.
About the Creator
Reid Christmann
Filmmaker | Designer | Composer | Creator
Work in videography and editing, novice screenwriter branching out into poetry and short stories. Check out my other work at reidchristmann.com
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The Bouquet of Flowers
I can hear various theme songs running through my mind as I consider the importance or nonimportance of a bouquet of flowers. Songs like "You Don't Bring me Flowers" where Neil Diamond and Barbra Striesand sing about a once passionate romance dead like flowers a week after they are delivered. Or the song "Flowers" by Miley Cyrus (which won a Grammy) which had me feeling empowered, listening in my car instead of embracing the depression that follows loneliness or rejection. Or even the song by Bruno Mars "When I Was Your Man" where he admits that he should have bought his ex flowers instead of living an episode of "Turn of the Screw". Maybe if his English teacher had introduced him to Henry James, Bruno wouldn't have sung about his regrets. I'm sure there are lots of songs that mention flowers or the bouquet and the image is embedded in our minds as a classic gesture of romance, and even used as a sign of love and compassion during difficult times such as illness and/or the death of a loved one. Is it strange that flowers are often a big part of both weddings and funerals? Is the bouquet of flowers just an overpriced cliche or do we still consider it the classic romantic gesture?
By Shanon Marie Clare Angermeyer Norman5 days ago in Humans
Comments (18)
I'm glad this poem was highlighted on the leaderboard so I could discover it! So gently moving -- like ripples in a breeze..
Congrats 🎉🥳 top story. Very beautiful poem.
Beautiful imagery and great play on words in that last line. Congrats on top story!
Too good, thank you
Hey I am proud to be the first person to comment on this. Congrats.
Congrats on the Top Story! This was a beautiful poem. There's something remarkably powerful about returning someone to the ocean for their final resting place. Wonderful job capturing that feeling!
Love it!
💫Congrats on Top Story!!!🎉🥳🎉🥳🎉🥳
Mm, I enjoy your work! Subscribed, and I hope you keep sharing here’
Oh, wow, that final line hits me with so much feeling! I love the discussion of connection here! Beautiful!
Lovely
Beautiful poem. Congrats on the TS.
My grandfather was a master sailor so this poem deeply resonates. Thank you for writing and sharing and congratulations on achieving a top story!
Glad to see you shared this one. I loved seeing you work on it earlier this month.
Wow, I loved this and the thought of him waving, wow! There is a typo- pedals should be petals. ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Such a beautiful poem.
This is so, so lovely. A beautiful tribute to your grandfather.
Water is very related to our life incidents, a nice poem.