SURFING
By John M. Giles
(From The Mid-Pacific Magazine, published by Alexander Hume Ford. Honolulu, Hawaii, Territory of Hawaii, Volume 2, Number 4, October 1911. An early example of surfing-themed poetry. Source: www.surfresearch.com.au)
The beach gleams white in the sun’s strong light,
The ocean’s a fathomless blue;
The breakers roar on the reef and shore
And call to me and you.
The water is clear where the great fish sheer
‘Tween the coral rocKs below,
And the surf boards ride there side by side,
While the breakers come and go.
It is each for each as we leave the beach,
And nose through the breaking blue;
It is paddle well as we hit the swell
And brea the white crest through.
There’s a sudden swing, a twist and a fling!
The board points for the shore!
And you fix your eye where the surf flings high,
To fall on the reef aroar.
You watch it leave with a rising heave
Gathering force as it goes;
And you paddle away and you dip and sway
As it near and nearer shows.
Then you flash through space in a whirling race,
And a smother of salt sea spray,
And the sea laughs by and the great bl\1e sKy,
Both call their roundelay.
The warm trade breeze that moves the trees
On the fringed shore ahead,
With lingering kiss and soothing hiss,
Steadies your whirling head.
So it’s out to the roar of the spray spumed shore!
Again and still again,
For life is good on your fashioned wood,
And you care or know not pain.
***
‘Pipeline,’ Dick Dale and Stevie Ray Vaughan, from Back to the Beach (1987)
***
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_FAX6rZstE
‘Theme from ‘The Endless Summer,’ The Sandals (1966)
***
SANDY DAZE
By Elijah Corbeau
It’s windy. The cool breeze of the ocean.
It gives,, a sense of beauty, in motion.
All is flowing, rushing and tide-
And I sit in wonder, dreaming beside.
Shells line the shore, lining and lining.
The sun is above, shining and shining.
The surf will speak softly, whispering in time,
“Oh my Love, will you deign to be mine?”
So I speak to the ocean, the Mother of all.
There’s no other sound but the waves rise and fall.
Crashing, rushing, babbling in tune
Echoes the evening softness, coming so soon.
(Published at hellopoetry.com, August 2014
***
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fwx2pephwKU
‘Surfin’ and A-Swingin/‘The Wedge,’ Dick Dale on the Ed Sullivan Show, live in 1963
***
BEACH
By Blackbird
Beams of light explode over the soft sand,
i can feel the warmth on my face as i sit on the beach,
sinking softly into natures warm bed.
The light seems to turn everything it touches
into a glowing ball of light,
as if god himself is smiling down at the dawn of a new day.
The beach is deserted apart from a few seagulls
that seem to share this enlightened appreciation.
I grab my board and walk slowly towards the sand,
my feet sinking into the grains,
feeling the consistency change as the water laps at my ankles.
My wetsuit keeps me surprisingly warm
as the cold water rises slowly, and i close my eyes,
holding my board under one arm.
I smell the salt, the fresh air, this is what beauty is.
I wander in, losing myself in this new environment.
I duck quickly underwater wetting my hair and face,
floating weightlessly in the water for a second,
before rising, feeling fresh as i grab my floating board and straddle it.
Leaning forward, i can seeing fish scatter
as the first wave washes over me
like a tilde wave of emotions and stress,
i wipe the slate clean,
i am the tabula rasa and this is a new day.
(Published at hellopoetry.com, November 2014)
***
‘Baja,’ The Astronauts (1963)
***
SAILBOARDS MAUI
by Bill Keys of PoemsWhileYouWait.com
Don’t believe what anyone says
everyone is religious
It’s just that most people rely on some abstract salvation
stuff as elusive as a doughnut hole without a doughnut
This type of religion requires belief
same as Santa
Others rely on a more tangible salvation
as reliable and everlasting as the waves
People who get up at the ass crack of dawn
to practice the virtues
Persistence
Patience
Courage
Humility
with the dedicated longing
to be at one
with the Divine surge
We’re all born of the ocean
Ride the palm of source
Everyone needs such affirmations
So get religion
Or….get a board
(Published at divinesurfdesgin.com
***
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TW99rqDOrOo
‘Surf Jam,’ The Beach Boys (songwriter: Carl Wilson; from the Surfin’ USA album, 1963)
***
THANK GOD I SURF
by Judd Handler at DivineSurfDesign.com
Thank God I Surf
don’t wanna work
can’t stand the stress
my life’s the best
thank god I surf
don’t wanna work
no bosses screamin’ at me
I’ll be somewhere in Fiji
thank god i surf
don’t wanna work
no commute, no 9 to 5 grind
the waves bring me piece of mind
thank god i surf
don’t wanna work
making love to the ocean
shifting hips, grinding motion
Beach break, reef break
it don’t matter to me
all I really want
is to be set free
onshore offshore
you’ll find me there
without any worries
without any cares
thank god I surf
don’t wanna work
longboard, shortboard, whatever floats your boat
no cubicle for me I’m on an island so remote
***
‘Penetration,’ by the rare multi-racial surf band, The Pyramids, on American Bandstand, March 28, 1964
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SOUND OF THE SURF
by Ralph Alfonso of bongobeat.com
Waves crash down
6:00 a.m.
Morning mist
Hot sun burning
White boards rising
from the sand
camp stove coffee
smelling good
Fuel for the engine
Rhythm of the surf
Drums of the sea
One by one
into the ocean
throwing our bodies into
the liquid of life
Souls set free
astride our hearts
twisting and turning
propelled by ocean
into the white light of peace
exhilaration
fear the only obstacle
adrenaline the reward
sweat is our offering
baptized in the waters of
our creator
cleansed of our sins
given strength
to carry our message of
an infinite calm
a silence within
as day begins
the sound of the surf
dawn of the drums
***
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xid0FbCEgEg
‘Ride The Wild Surf,’ Jan and Dean (written by Jan Berry, Brian Wilson and Roger Christian; title song from the like-titled film, 1964. #16 single). Ride the Wild Surf, directed by Don Taylor, from a screenplay by Art Napoleon and Jo Napoleon, features authentic big wave footage shot in Oahu, as seen here as the setup for Jan and Dean’s classic song.
***
RIDE THE WILD SURF
(Jan Berry/Brian Wilson/Roger Christian)
In Hawaii there’s a place known as Waimea Bay
Where the best surfers in the world come to stay
And ride the wild surf they come to try
To conquer those waves some 30 feet high
Ride ride ride the wild surf
Ride ride ride the wild surf
Ride ride ride the wild surf
Gotta take that one last ride
Surf fever brings them here to meet the test
And hanging round the beach you’ll see the best
They’re waxed up and ready just waiting for
The surf to build up on the northern shore
Lined up and waiting for that next big set outside
Nothing can stop it cause you’ve just gotta ride ride ride ride ride
The heavies at the pipeline are OK
But they can’t match the savage surf at Waimea Bay
It takes a lot of skill and courage unknown
To catch the last wave and ride it in alone
Ride ride ride the wild surf
Ride ride ride the wild surf
Ride ride ride the wild surf
Gotta take that one last
Gotta take that one last ride
***
‘The Lonely Surfer,’ Jack Nitzsche (1963)
