The Spirit of the Ocean

Waves crash upon the shore, With a roar that sings of freedom, Each foam a dancer’s leap, In rhythm with the universe. The ocean breathes profoundly, Echoing the heart of lands, Carrying tales unseen, From the shores of distant sands.

I walk along the water’s edge, Where sea and sky embrace, And lose myself within the whispers, Of the ocean’s vast, gentle grace. For in the endless swell of tides, I find the pulse of all life, The spirit of the ocean swells, In tumult and in strife.

— Wole Soyinka

• Wole Soyinka