Surf ~ Pic and a Word Challenge #337

I paddle out onto the calm sea
Despite the listless surf
Rather, no

Because of it

I love the thrill of catching a wave
The feel of the board cutting through the water
The acceleration as the curl builds

And, yes
Even the tumult
When the sea punishes me
For my errors

But I love too

The moments between waves
The calm quiet introspection
Gentle swells sway me
An ocean hammock in the breeze

Take a deep breath
And another
Feel my resting heart beat
In a state of peace

Here am I
Rapt in my own presence
In time with the rhythm
Of nature

Some days
I prefer these long deep breaths
Over the exhilaration
Of a racing heart

So I paddle out
Sit with my being for a while
Then paddle back in
At peace with the world

And myself

In the Silence Between Waves
Long Beach
Pacific Rim National Park
British Columbia, Canada

Taken during travels, 2022

Pic and a Word Challenge

Last time we escaped the Gloom. This week, let’s ride the Surf. Or find something else to inspire you in this photograph of a surfer waiting patiently for the next wave, Long Beach in Pacific Rim National Park
British Columbia, Canada

The Pic and a Word Challenge is a (usually) weekly creativity prompt (usually) offered Mondays.

With each challenge I provide a photograph of mine along with a single word. The challenge? Use the pic and/or word as inspiration to create something — a photograph, a painting, video, prose, poetry, fiction, non-fiction, longread or just a few words. You are welcome to use these two elements (photograph and word) literally, thematically or metaphorically. If you create both images and words, all the better.

To participate:

Use any title you like
Your response can be words and/or images
You may use my image to illustrate your post, or any images you have created
Mention that you are responding to the Pic and a Word Challenge
Add a link to this post in your response

To help us find your response — whether on WordPress, Instagram, Flicker, Tumblr, etc. — you can also:

Add a comment on this post to announce your response
Apply the tag/hashtag “Pic and a Word Challenge” or “#picandawordchallenge” to your post

Each week, I’ll list the previous challenge’s responses at the end of the new challenge. I may also share some on my social media: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, etc.

The previous challenge was: Gloom

Reaching for the Light, Cannon Beach, Oregon, United States of America — Challenge #336 ~ Gloom

The word for last week’s Pic and a Word Challenge #336 was Gloom, along with this photograph of a wave reaching up the beach from Haystack Rock on Cannon Beach, in Oregon, USA.

Just one blogger escaped the Gloom this time. Thanks, Woolly!