Poetry interlude: Sun, Sea, Sand, Soul (IFLA 2007, South Africa)

I'll be back with a few more IFLA posts from the conference in Durban. Meantime, here's a poem inspired by a photo I took from my hotel room (Marine Parade Garden Court) in Durban. My colleagues and I were staying at a hotel that faced the Indian Ocean! Now I can tell people that I've actually touched and took a dip in the great Indian Ocean.

If you click through to the larger Flickr image, I've added a note to show surfers in the water. Yeah, the waves you see are metres across. The pier in the photo is easily 100 metres long.


Sun, Sea, Sand, Soul
I lose myself, staring at
The red eye in the sky.

I lose myself, listening to
The song of surf on sand.

The Indian Ocean mere inches from my feet:

Salty sea spray,
Playing an ageless tune.
Sealing men's souls within
The fine grains of sand.

Ivan Chew, 30 Aug 2007