Oregon Coast

Rock-strewn coastline

Boulders here and there,

Navigate the rocky bottom -

Sarsens everywhere.

Frigid, stabbing water

Hits my exposed skin

Bodysuit barely helping,

Board scrapes stone again.

Struggling to paddle out -

Watch the exposed crowns,

Of underwater boulders

Everywhere around.

Hard to read the current,

Twisting and unfair;

Waves capped with salty spray

Approaching Neptune’s lair.

Primeval in its beauty,

Ancient in its days,

Unblemished by our hands -

Its breaks, and waves and cays.

Now up atop the board-

I surf the right-hand wave,

Lifted and exultant -

Another day to save.

Glen Hines is the author of five books, including the recently published Of Time and Rivers, and the highly-regarded Bring in the Gladiators, Observations From a Former College Football Player Who Was Never Able to Become a Fan, all available at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble. He is the writer and producer of the book and podcast Welcome to the Machine, available on most podcast platforms. His writing has also been featured in Sports Illustrated, Task & Purpose, the Human Development Project, Amazon, and Audible.