When I was younger, the ocean was always a place of light for me. Nothing made me happier on vacation than collecting little seashells and pebbles while just feeling the sun on my back. I would pretend that the ocean was sentient and even tell it about my day. That's what I explore in the first stanza of my poem, the first "side" of the sea. Yet, life couldn't stay as pure as it once was. Grief isn't something that's felt all at once for many people, but something that often comes in waves. It can taint memories of what you love most and turn them into something you can't bear to look at anymore. You can start to feel undeserving of that beautiful light, and what once felt like home now leaves you feeling claustrophobic. I never quite viewed the sea the same after that. Where I once saw sunshine and the light twinkling over the waves, I only saw cloudy skies and harsh tides. I began to think only of the negative things associated with the sea, such as the myths of sirens and the drowned city of Atlantis, which I discuss in my poem. They only reinforced my view that the sea was this horrible place I was meant to despise. Somewhere along the way, I got so lost in that grief that I forgot the beauty of the sea. I had forgotten that there are two sides to the sea: the darkness I had experienced, but also the light that I had once so innocently cherished. Writing this poem helped me come to terms with that. It helped me understand that while grief often seems all-encompassing, there is a unique sort of hope and acceptance that can be found. I truly hope that every person who reads this poem can remember that even in life’s storms, the light is never truly gone, but simply waiting to be rediscovered.
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