“I draw a jackal-headed woman in the sand,
sing of a lover’s fate,
sealed by jealous hate,
then wash my hands in the sea.

With just three days more,
I’d have just about learned the entire score,
to Aida.

Holidays must end,
as you know.
All is memory,
taken home with me:
the Opera,
the stolen tea,
the sand drawing,
the verging sea,
all years ago.”

My love of the sea has been with me for as long as I can remember. It is set in the deep recess of self where memories of how my Grandmother’s voice sounded, how it felt to buy my first vinyl record, how the air blew strands of my hair back when I rode my bike around the block, over and over, with that never-ending Summer feeling pulsing through my veins. The ocean has been a constant, a place of solace, and a destination that  I have been drawn to, time and time again.

This song has always been a favorite of mine. It reminds me of the sea, of times I have spent by the ocean, alone, or with those close to me, taking in all the beauty and sadness, and all the feelings evoked that fall in-between.

I wonder how many secrets the sea carries with it, in its endless ebb and flow? And, I wonder how many memories I will keep with me, until my last days of life, that the sea is a part of?

Verdi Cries (live) :: Natalie Merchant
from the album, In My Tribe by 10,000 Maniacs