I Ride The Sea

4/7/23

You rode the wind,
I ride the sea,
Powerful, beautiful, unpredictable…. Deep

You rode the wind.
Here yesterday but gone today,
A long held breath… released

You passed by,
I tried to catch you with my tides,
Bound by the shore but still reaching

You weren’t confined,
I sway based on the time of the day,
How I wished you were anchored

You rode the wind,
And I ride the sea,
You passed over me

A gentle passing breeze,
Made way for a powerful storm,
I try not to sink

You rode the wind and I ride the sea,
You’ve blown away
And somehow I’m steady.

This poem was written in loving memory of my best friend, my grandfather, and now—my angel—Ronald W. Overton.

It was inspired by his award-winning piece, “I Ride the Wind,” written in the 1980s during a time where he experienced the pain of a relationship ending. He expressed being untethered and gone with the wind.

A few years after he passed, I wrote this poem as a response—an echo across generations. While he rode the wind, I ride the sea. I long to hold on, to anchor him somehow, but realize he can no longer be caught. My poem is a reflection of our bond, his legacy, and the power of poetry that connects us.

Below is his original poem

I Ride the Wind by Ronald Overton

Who am I? I am me!
Can't you tell? Don't you see?
Why am I here? Cause this is where I am.
Frankly, if I had one to spare, I wouldn't give a damn.

I've often said I came on a tide,
before the first time this morning again, I lied.
I did not walk, no no my friend,
Nor did I drive, I wrote The Wind.

You See Me Now as "just a man",
At last my sweet, you understand,
I have no halo, harp, or wings,
There Are No Visions of ecstasies when I sing.

You thought of me as your favorite lamb,
Obviously my sweet you don't give a damn,
I'll turn my back again to the Sun,
I won't crawl, slumber, nor will I run.

I'll simply start my long walk again,
With frozen tears as I face the wind.
I'll ride it, talk to it, at times I'll even chase it,
So then my friends, why can't I face it?

So now I suggest, my sweet little Dove
Try casting your luscious soft brown eyes above,
If ever you seek to see me again,
Catch glances of me, as I ride the wind.