By Spencer Kimble
Early October sun paints the sea with hues of orange and pink. The harmonious dance of reflecting light slows as the sun dips deeper on the horizon. Cool water, filled with salt and smelling of seaweed, welcomes me. I dive, holding my breath, and deliberately maneuver through carpets of eelgrass. Plucking scallops from where they nestle, I kick to the surface. My feet push seawater toward the sky, iridescent in the afternoon sun. I extract the adductor muscle from its shell and it hits my tongue with an explosive brine: both savory and sweet. I bask in these senses, alive in a beautiful moment in time.
The ocean will always wrap me in a familiar embrace. Regardless of the weather or the season, the senses I experience remain steady. It’s like driving home for the weekend to find my mom in her garden and the smell of dinner escaping through the open window. The sea water is an unwavering comfort. Diving into it, my cloak of anxieties is stripped away, leaving me naked in the moment. The past and future dissolve to reveal a full presence. My mind slows. I feel light in the buoyancy of the saline water. I float for a few long moments after I plunge, soaking in the sea. The ocean’s sounds and scents are different Headwaters Magazine 22
