Specific Pacific
Originally published in the Fall 2009 edition of The Auburn Circle.
As originally published in The Auburn Circle, Fall 2009.
Specific Pacific
I woke up to the Pacific Waves wearing shoreline drift-trees raw; Overcast gray and blue specific Sights of creation roared white-foam awe, Oh, waters over the deep! Dear God, I was once asleep Until You moved into me, With Your light that let me see
“Specific Pacific” was written in 2009, on a Spring Break road trip to Olympic National Park.
I had a vision-goal of waking up early one morning, spending time with God, and writing a poem. This poem was the result of finally doing that.
Sitting above the beach and drift-trees, a dull gray overcast sky, reading the first part of Genesis, and writing in my journal.
It was a surreal moment of witnessing Creation reflecting the circumstances of its own creation—and in turn creating something myself.
Bonus: As the poem is now internalized in my memory. The Revised Version.
Specific Pacific
I awoke to the Pacific waves wearing shoreline drift-trees raw; overcast gray and blue specific sights of Creation roared white-foam awe. Oh, waters over the deep! Dear God, I was once asleep until You moved into me with Your light that let me see.
Looking back, I remember the poem slightly different from what was published, so I’ve included this version as an interesting addition. Whatever the case and cause, it seems appropriate a poem about the ocean would ebb over time.
Genesis 1:1–3 NASB 1995
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
(Photos provided by our friend Steven from a previous trip to Olympic. If we can find the photos from when this poem was written, I’ll update this post. Piles of barren tree trunks as drift wood was a sight to behold.)