Down To The Sea Poem by Lonnie Hicks

I went down to the sea
to wash my sins away

I went down to the sea
to cleanse myself of lusting after revenge
of guilt slinging
of lying when speaking
of not having the courage to speak the truth
of turning my back when I should have stood and faced things

I went down to the sea to wash my sins away
of neglect of others
of those I hated upon
cursed silently
of times I threw anger in someone's face
abused the weak
and those who couldn't fight back or whom were mute.

I went down to the ocean shore
to sink beneath the waves.


But the sea rejected me
sending me back
to make things right
laying me prone on the shore
amid the seaweed.

The ocean said

'My waters are pure
and cannot be despoiled by those
seeking to drown themselves in me.

No, come back after you have
made amends
and done the work you need to do
and then my sparkle waves
will greet you
as a child
who's come home
to play in my sweet eddies.

Come back after you have made yourself clean
and worthy of my ocean-tides
my river flows
my welcoming, swift currents.

You are made mostly of my waters
and then thus
coming back
we will be joined again
properly.