Beyond the Wall

I wish I could capture the awe and wonder of being on the other side of the break wall.

I would always swim out at sunset - after the lifeguards are off their shift and are done chasing me down in their boats, telling me to stay within the buoy line. Upon reaching the wall, I’d climb onto the slippery jagged rocks, careful to not step on the sharp zebra mussels with my bare feet. Sitting there on the edge, I’m finally alone with the infinite horizon.

On calm days it would be like staring out at two blocks of colour. Streaks of pink, orange, and purple pastel stacked on top of an aqua blue so stark it could be made of a giant diamond slab.

On stormy days, the wall is a different kind of powerful experience. Under a heavy sky, my toes would dangle above the dark roaring water, waves crashing and shaking the rocks beneath me, while the on-shore wind wraps around my body.

Being on the other side always feels like coming home - like shedding off the clothes, the thoughts, and the noise - becoming weightless and free. It’s a place where the boundaries’ of self and other completely dissolve, erasing any separation between me and the infinite.