Sitting on the balcony of our cabin watching the night sky, seeing the moon growing into fullness, and listening to the waves crash against the starboard side of the ship was mesmerizing. As the rest of the 2,000 guests partied, gambled, drank and were entertained, I sat in the lovely calm of the ocean.
I spent my evenings this way every night of the cruise. I took a shower, then, wrapped in a bathrobe, would sit in a deck chair for hours allowing myself to be taken away by the splendor of the sea, watching as nature played out in front of me.
The fifth night on board would be different. The Captain had announced earlier that a storm was in our path and he was going to take the ship through it to get us further out to sea to calmer waters. It would be a bit rough as we passed through the storm but nothing for anyone to worry about.
I had turned the lights off in the cabin and watched the massive, clear, blue-black sky, filled with stars, roll slowly over my head, pass the top deck full of partiers, over the bridge and the smokestacks, giving way to the approaching storm.
The gray rolling clouds pushed in, covering every inch of the sky and all the way down to the surface of the water and collided with the ship’s hull, churning in a display of power I have not experienced before. More intense, a storm at sea is very different from a storm on land. I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be.
The transformation playing out in front of me felt epic! The warm breeze had grown stronger and blew the curtains straight into the cabin.T he rain came down in sheets, changing direction with each wind gust. The thunder and lightning were right in front of me, and coming at the exact same time. The ship swayed just slightly.
In that darkness, I stood up, dropped my robe, and spreading my arms wide, let the full force of Mother Nature smash right into me. I closed my eyes as the energy of the storm soaked into my skin, into every pore, right into my soul. It was the most exquisite feeling. There was nothing but the raw power of the storm. As the rain pelted my body, I ceased to exist. I was taken by a power so ancient it reached back to the beginning of time. I felt no fear as I got pulled into the moment.
It only lasted a few minutes, but it could have been hours; time felt like it had stopped. The ship, leaving the storm behind her, once again pushed into calm seas and clear skies. Our ship slid through the water with hardly a break in the waves, just as the good Captain had promised.
I wasn’t sure how long I stood there. Every nerve in my body was snapping, my heart was pounding, and though I felt my bones had turned to rubber I could not move. Every inch of my being was soaked with seawater. Her brininess was in my nose, and in my ears. My eyelashes had small salt crystals on them, and my hair smelled like seaweed. When I touched my skin a
fine layer of salt covered it. I had been embraced deeply by the magnificent Atlantic Ocean and she claimed me as her own.
I finally lowered my arms and flopped down into the deck chair. I kept my eyes closed and tried to pull myself back from the storm. I was reluctant to let go, wishing instead to stay within the storm and flow into her power forever.
I finally managed to get dressed and resume my human existence. I made my way to a tiny alcove I had been using for writing over the past five nights. My body was still humming and felt I was floating right above the floor. The power of the sea was still vibrating inside of me.
The energy began to flow out of me and onto the pages. I wrote without thought, as I filled up page after page. The inspiration was bursting out of me. Later, and several times since, I have gone back to read what I had written but have never understood a single word; it was written in some language I simply do not recognize. Perhaps a language no one could.
Now and again, when the rain is coming down I will step out into it, lift my face up, close my eyes and remember the night a great storm took me into her.
Next time it rains, let it pour on your head. Invite the storm in. There is magic in there.
Love and Life,
Anna O’Keefe