by Cheryl, Gulf Coast Poet

Of the Water

Gulf of Mexico, Englewood Beach, FL. Photo by Eve Ellen Maher.

Of the Water

We exist, submerged

in the womb, that inner sea,

until our first breath.

In our veins flows blood

with the sea’s salinity…

seas…where life began.

Water in our cells,

water in our mother’s milk,

water in our tears.

We are of water…

bodies more than half water.

Water sustains us.

Water in rain clouds,

streams, rivers, lakes, seas, oceans,

aquifers, ice caps.

Beauty of water

soothes our spirits, inspires us…

Water refreshes.

Every living thing

needs clean, life-giving water

for body and soul!

Boat wake in Biscayne Bay near Miami, Florida. Photos by Eve Ellen Maher.

Copyright© 2023 by Cheryl Batavia

75 Comments

    2. Wishing you lots of warm sunshine tomorrow, Filipa. 🙂

      SW Florida’s weather has been strange this year: the largest hurricane Florida has ever experienced in the autumn, two frosts this winter that usually come only once every ten years, months of red tide, and a windy spring. A massive influx of sargassum seaweed has started earlier than expected on our beaches. Still, we must enjoy what we can and work to remedy the rest! ❤

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  12. So beautifully written, Chery! About 60% of human body are water. That’s why a campaign has been launched, Water is Life, to ensure access to clean, potable water for all peoples. Thank you for raising the concern. All the images are awesome! Have a great weekend ❤️

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    1. Thank you, KK, for your lovely and informative response. Glad you enjoyed my daughter Ellen’s water photos. She took many artistic shots on our recent vacation. My younger daughter, Katey, is the queen of selfies and emails me photos of their life in Texas. 🙂

      In researching this post, I found various average percentages of the water content in the human body: 60%, as you said, for adult males, 70% for children, and 50% for women. The water content of the body declines with age.

      Thank you for the information about the “Water is Life” campaign. ❤ I was not aware of it, although I have seen documentaries about work to bring clean water to places where it is needed. I can't think of a more important initiative!

      Wishing you a beautiful week! ❤ ❤ ❤

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      1. Wow! Ellen is not less than a professional photographer. Glad to know that both daughters like photography. It’s a good hobby. As regards water content, you’re right. That’s why old people are advised to take water more frequently. Thank you, Cheryl. You’re welcome 🙏💐

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  14. I was just talking with a friend this afternoon about how much we love to be in the water. If it’s been a while, it feels like a longing. You’ve done a beautiful job of explaining and describing the magic of water.

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    1. Thank you, JoAnna, for sharing your beautiful perspective. ❤ I too have felt that longing to be in the water. Robert and I went to the beach last week after the red tide was finally gone and only put our feet in the water. The massive influx of seaweed has begun here weeks earlier than predicted. Seize the day, JoAnna! 🙂

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  17. Thank you, photography lover, for your kind comments! Glad you enjoyed the post. ❤

    The photos are from a recent road trip I took with my two daughters who both like to take photos on their cell phones. These photos are by my older daughter, Ellen. The younger daughter, Katey, the selfie queen, keeps me up-to-date on their busy lives in Texas by emailing me photos. Some of Katey's photos appear in other posts from that vacation.

    Have a great day! 🙂

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  18. I love your poem Cheryl that speaks so much to the water that sustains us in so many ways. The miracle of living, loving, protecting, birth all in one single drop. Ellen’s pictures are gorgeous and especially love that I am sitting in the tub reading this! 💦

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    1. Haha! I also love that you are sitting in the tub reading this! Now I know how you accomplish so much! I guess I need to be a better multitasker. 🙂

      Thank you so much for your lovely comment. ❤ Your support means a lot to me!

      Have a wonderful week!

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  24. I tell all my city friends that water is currency in the country – I think about it every day – when was the last time we got rain, how many more days before it rains again, what is our water usage for the month, is it time to switch to our second well to give the other extra time to recharge, how much water are we losing to runoff instead of soaking into the ground during flash floods and did we get enough snowfall to carry us through the hottest months of summer… and still, I wouldn’t give up this life for anything ha. Enjoyed the poem!

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    1. We too, have a well, Brian. The sulfur water must be softened, and we have a reverse osmosis filter under the kitchen sink for drinking water. Still, I think our water is better than city water, which is often heavily chlorinated here. We also have a septic system to maintain.

      We are in the middle of a huge building boom and city services will become available sometime. I have mixed feelings about that!

      Thank you so much, Brian, for sharing your thoughts. ❤ Glad you enjoyed the poem.

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  30. The poem serves as a reminder of the importance of preserving and appreciating this precious resource for the benefit of all living beings. It’s a refreshing and thought-provoking piece. Well done, Cheryl!

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    1. Thank you so much, Kritika, for visiting this post. This is one of my favorites of my poems. When I published it in Earthly Days I regretted that I was not able to share all of my daughter, Ellen’s artistic water photos. Glad you enjoyed them. ❤

      I hope all is well with you! ❤ ❤ ❤

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