Alden Marin's Coastal Poetry

Biography

Contemporary artist Alden Marin is a native of Southern California, where he attended grammar and high schools in the West Los Angeles and Santa Barbara areas. A graduate of Stanford University, he is an accomplished artist, musician, poet, mountain hiker and surfer. Alden has an independent wine brokerage business, selling product to upscale restaurants and grocery chains in Greater Los Angeles. Alden’s excellent work can be viewed on his web site.

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California Coast - Trails

AN AFTERNOON ALONG THE SESPE

It’s a bigger sky
than your thoughts
can imagine
and it won’t be
contained by concepts
in places where
mens’ feet have
never trodden

 

 

mountains beckon the conjecture
as to why; the answer
lies in purple sandstone
green along a creekbed
beckoning sweetly
in the corner of an eye–

 

No place for your
ambitions and goals
except one foot at a time
on the noble, crumbling trail
that wraps the hills
with the disappearing thread
of its vast highway;

 

 

the locations you
can never forget–lost
as soon as
you find the words to describe
a summer afternoon
along the Sespe;
a gift with each breath

 

All photos © Pablo Capra 

and unfolding persective
on a birthday, like last year’s
to the day; the landscapes
reborn with every moment
recalling our purposeful passage
and grateful for simply
being here, and alive.

 

 

 

Submitted By Alden Marin on Aug. 05 , 2009

© Alden Marin 2013, all rights reserved

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California Coast - Trails

THIS IS WHAT MATTERS

 

A road
winding through canyons
past effusive bloom;
yellow, red, lavender fingerprints
at the window
a creek heard drumming
on rocks below
if you stop and listen
to the wind, long enough

 

 

A view of the coast
from the rise;
brushstrokes of blue
canvassed against
the exploding day
sparkling on horizons
indicative of nothing
and everything--
the city from which
you came, begs you
to leave and yet, to stay—

 

This is what matters
on the outskirts;
a trailhead--the dirt
an invitation, an elixir
put on your shoes
tie them tight
and head due west
up the jungle
to the sky

Submitted By Alden Marin on May 06 , 2009

© Alden Marin 2013, all rights reserved

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Surfing

IN GENTLE RETURNING ORBIT

Travis Stassart - - Deep, Nov '08                        photo © Paul Powers

 

At Pt Freedom

light on glassy

pluming funnels

joyride tide--a test

balancing time

one on one, man

to wavemother

cradling son

on surface sublime

ocean blood pumps

skin alive

without, within

seeking the embryonic

fleeting sea edge

fierceness released

on swell; riders

glide, fly, transcend

in gentle, returning

orbit.

 

Travis  - - Deeper, Nov '08                    photo © Paul Powers

 

 

 

 

Submitted By Alden Marin on Jan. 29 , 2009

© Alden Marin 2013, all rights reserved

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Surfing

YOUR OBSESSION

There it is--

it's always something;

it's your obsession

in all its

multiple forms

Submitted By Alden Marin on Jan. 20 , 2009

© Alden Marin 2013, all rights reserved

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California Coast - Trails

SUMMITTING

 

 

Welcome to the summit

Of the sandstone kingdom

Thrust skyward eons past

When the oceans exploded

Fossils hold fast that time:

A million hints of other creatures

That came to pass…

Here, you can feel

The weight of butterfly wings

Transient, on the lids

Of your waking eyes

And pebbles crunch underfoot

Almost sweetly

The higher you climb – 

 

 

Grab yourself a seat

On a boulder the size of a house

And watch the coast

And canyons intertwine

Not a care up here

Just a lazy afternoon

In the middle of the sky

Where hawks carve silent arcs

And wrentits sing out

Their sudden surprise

Along a canopy-covered single track

To Wonderland

Where so few

Have come to seek

But from where almost everything

Is visible.

 

 

Submitted By Alden Marin on Dec. 28 , 2008

© Alden Marin 2013, all rights reserved

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California Coast - Beaches

THIS BEAUTY

 

 

You can’t keep

This beauty;

It will be gone

Before

You can say

“Mine…”

 

 

Submitted By Alden Marin on Dec. 04 , 2008

© Alden Marin 2013, all rights reserved

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Surfing

DAY MAKING WAVE

 

Travis Stassart on a day making wave, Ventura, CA                        Photo: Hotch

 

 

 

Waiting

In the grey October mist

Between fog

For the small swells today

Surprising pulse

For a foot, or two

Taking turns riding

All the way

To the sand

And eagerly paddling

Back out again

Then—on the outside

A telltale sparkling wall

Rising above the kelp

Announcing itself

In a tapered shoulder

Falling away

From the peak

Down the line

And you’re ready;

A perfect pivot

At the boil

Inside the pitching rise

With three good strokes

You’re up and in

The edge of space

On the liquid lip

Of time, along

The fast, slicing shelf

Torn from a page

In the ocean’s book itself—

You didn’t expect it

But you were there

And feel stoked—

The day making wave

Overhead, challenging

And fast as hell

To take with you

As a memory, until dark

When you’ll dream

Of putting out again tomorrow

In search of

Another one

 

 

 

Submitted By Alden Marin on Nov. 08 , 2008

© Alden Marin 2013, all rights reserved

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Surfing

NOTHING IN THIS LIFE

Alden looking into the blue reaches.

 

 

The white bird flies

 
Across the still gully;

 
Mountains awaken

Cradling light, red and orange

 
Yellow gold on grey water

 
To guide surfers

 
Down the trail to the Cove

 
And yes—those are not shadows

 
On the sea, but waves

 
Encouraging you out

 
Into the blue reaches

 
Paddling towards

 
Refined moments of bliss;

 
You’ve anticipated this

Through the flat

And dry days of calm

The unmoving horizon

 
You’ve watched

 
Now drawn with lines

 
Sculpted perfectly

 
By their global journey

 
For you to ride upon…

 
Minutes later—that is you

 
A swerving black dash

 
On a hill

 
Of rolling blue

 
Up and down, around

 
And back to the lineup

Someone said

 
They heard you scream out

”Yeah!!” –and it’s true

Time and again, proof

There’s nothing in this life

That’s more exciting

To do.

 

Submitted By Alden Marin on Oct. 26 , 2008

© Alden Marin 2013, all rights reserved

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Surfing

BLUE MOUNTAINS ON THE SEA

 

 

Blue mountains

 
On the sea today;

Whether real

 
Or imagined—

A fortunate hallucination

Approaching two friends

Out surfing—shifting

Turquoise peaks

 
Coming true

 
And as it turns out

One for me

And one for you--

Gathered together

 
In this flux of earth

And sky and ocean

Looking to the horizon

For the elusive ridgeline

 
The south swells—

Nor’ Westers too

 

This time of year

Making the often-placid

 
Coves and inlets of home

Like playgrounds for the willing--

Look! Did you see that?

Out on the vast expanse—

Another blue mountain

 
Is coming…get ready!

It’s your turn buddy;

 
I just danced down

The wild steep trails

Of the last one…

 

 

Submitted By Alden Marin on Oct. 09 , 2008

© Alden Marin 2013, all rights reserved

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Surfing

YOUVE GOT TO CATCH IT

 

Out on

The near horizon

A chance to change

Your life, for a while:

A jade margin approaching

“Blue rope” as we say

The sea level rising

To an A-frame peak

Right outside, you turn

In time and dig deep

You’ve got to catch it

Before the wave escapes

Like the pelicans, there

In their effortless glides

Or the sleek dolphin

Swimming by (was that

A smile I saw on his face

Last time he circled?)

And so you pivot hard

Make your move

Paddle for all you’re worth

And then, it comes true—

The rise, descent, the line

Along a firing funnel

Summer blue towards

Winter silver—to the shore

Inside the rock

You tuck

And make it through—

You’ve got to catch it

And you do…

 

 

 

 

Submitted By Alden Marin on Sept. 22 , 2008

© Alden Marin 2013, all rights reserved

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