Stand here beside me – the wild Atlantic gusting in your face –
the people and the land behind.
Something happens as you stand here on the shore;
a distancing not related to either place or time.
You step close to the edge of things
and all else falls away.
THis expresses eloquently and economically your love and deep appreciation of special places and nature in general.
It does, Paul; yes. I live some 16 miles from the very northernmost coast of Northern Ireland – so I know seaside towns like Portrush and Portstewart very well. In fact, I lived in Portstewart (just at the harbour) when I was a postgraduate student. There’s nothing more enervating than turning your face to the sea and feeling the breeze against your skin.
Elegantly expressed, which reminds me of a question that I often wonder about – Why are things beautiful at their edges?