The Dynamic Shape Of God Poem by Grant House

We walk into Mesa Cafe for a late Saturday night dinner after a delightful Santa Barbara Literary Journal gathering of friends reading their remarkable work at Faulkner Gallery then
Driving dear Sojourner Kincaid Rolle Author, poet, teacher, mentor, friend and former Santa Barbara poet laureate not to mention one of the truly enlightened human beings
Home
This part of our evening quickly becoming a satisfying memory and easy topic of conversation
The potluck pies they served at intermission almost ruining our soon to come meal
Almost
Earlier during our visit to the pop up art gathering at Claudia Bratten's home gallery
Her silly hats and art with Carlos Cuéllar's, Penny Little's and others'
We bought a couple sets of earrings to perfectly complement two of Patricia's fiesta dresses
Old Spanish Days Fiesta being right around the corner only eight and a half months away
We walk into Mesa Cafe and as we are being seated
I notice the sleek rocket of a surfboard hanging on the wall high above our booth
It caught my eye
Shaped back in the day by Reynolds Yater
It is the exact duplicate of one I owned back in the 70's
Rounded pin tail, single fin, fine tuned rails, tip to tail center stringer, and just the right amount of rocker
Tuned for getting down the line in large mid-winter point-exploding swells
Those sets breaking in long clean lines
Smooth tubes from point to cove at El Cap, the Rincon, the reef at Hammonds and the Ranch
I loved that board
The light blue lines slicing through this glassy dawn inspired silky surface paddling out to turn and greet the sun rising over my shoulder
Body memory kicks in
Offshore spray stings my cheeks
Light blue lightening
Carves the face
Midwinter forces born so very far away and I are one for that fleeting moment
Another wave lifts sun glistening white jeweled foam flying pure energy engages laminar flow ripping rolling rocks rising crouching down inside monster howling shoulder peaceful gliding whoosh banking off the lip cranking airborne sliding barely touching fingers slip along the wall hold it there hold it hold it release shooting up in flight roaring silence salt drops grip the board and paddle furiously to beat the next set coming fast breathing fast smiling yeah outloud and happy shake it off wild eyes ahead oh yeah dark rising waves begin to break farther out reaching every stroke counts board and I rise to crest the powerful line up rolling in to take our place and then again jam it rising flowing down...
So are you going to order
What are you looking at
That board?
Come on honey
Sit down and let's get the waiter
Where is he?
I take a breath and for just one more fine second I feel the salt water dripping off my eyes and nose
The satisfaction of being out here
In my ocean
Connected with the source of all there is
Truly one
Wow
I let it in
Let my eyes caress the smooth edges of the board
Feel the rough wax
Kelp tangling my swirling legs
Fingers spinning an arc around me
Skimming the surface
Balanced between then and now
Thank you Reynolds Yater
Thank you for understanding the dynamic shape of God
Another deep breath
I shake it off
Dinner
Now as I write
My time in the water comes back to me again after all these years
This time my inner ocean breaking
Deep water north swell bending round the perfect point
Sliding down a face of tears
Wave monster howls inside the tube curls overhead sunlit lip curves across my shoulder
Life surfing
Kicking out
Padding toward the next set darkening this new horizon we call now
Every stroke counting smiling through these wonderful wet experiences
A part of who I am forever
Yeah I shout quietly to myself
That's what I'm talkin' 'bout
Shake it off
Water flying everywhere
Sunshine sparkles in the drops of Wow!