A Poem of Poetic Paddling: Maritime Energy

Mark Tulin is a baseball fan from Philadelphia, PA. He has four books of poetry and one short story collection, available on Amazon.

Paddleboarding: Poetry in Motion

Paddleboarding is poetry in motion. It starts with skill, then becomes an art form, a meditation, an existential journey on a wooden or fiberglass vessel across oceans, marinas, and lakes.

It takes balance, plenty of core work, and upper body strength. Since the sea is so unpredictable, it's best not to venture out there alone, unless you are a seasoned veteran.

Once upright, the paddler needs to look straight ahead to keep the board from veering off. With knees slightly bent, feet hip-width apart, the paddle will switch hands as needed, creating an easy flowing rhythmic motion, gliding across the water's surface to destinations unknown.

Please enjoy "Maritime Energy" and watch the video poem.

Maritime Energy, by Mark Tulin

Paddling straight ahead

single-mindedly

I slide into a billowing cloud

of ocean turbulence

not sure what I’ll find

exploring daylight

in the breath of morning’s

beast, where two pelican

silhouettes

drift along

the lonely surf

I move in chugging

sweeping rhythms

arms pushing

into the earth’s

resistance

Each side

I tend equally

digging into

the maritime energy

I glide gracefully

letting the tide

do its magic

as I maintain

my balance

continue my flow

staying upright

and on course

in the seafaring brine

of the misty

mysterious.

© 2020 Mark Tulin