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.

To Visit Alden Marin's Website...Click Here.

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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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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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Surfing

BLUE DROP For Ray

 

Blue drop

 
Of the rising swell—

Look around

And you’re alone

 
On the quickened edge

Of some new world

 
That changes every second;

 
Blue to green turns

 
And you return

 
To cradled foam

A cascading tube

Behind you, catching up—

Lean down, grab the rail

An embryonic tuck

You are covered up

 
For an instant

 
And spat back

Blissfully

 
To sun--

 
Arms

Raised,

 
Victory

 
Smile.

 

Submitted By Alden Marin on June 22 , 2008

© Alden Marin 2013, all rights reserved

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