Write a poem about an experience in your life in which nature was the teacher

A cloud-like foam balances on the ocean’s edge like froth in a coffee cup

I watch as birds bob up and down, the current carrying them in whatever direction it pleases

The waves that crash onto the shore creep around my ankles, gradually drawing me closer into the jaws of the ocean

As I paddle out on my board, I realise that, like the birds, I am but an inconsiderable creature in such a considerable landscape

I am now a puppet of the ocean, to be manoeuvred as she pleases

The sea begins to churn, and the waves pile higher and higher and higher

As the swell begins to build so does my fear for such an uncontrollable goddess

The temper of which sways from just a wee whisper of the wind

However so, I place my faith in the arms of mother

And as I paddle for the wave, I feel her hand upon my board, guiding me back to the sand

It was at that moment I realised the ocean was not a fearful place

But rather, a place of mutual understanding

Where respect is met with kindness and impertinence is met with fury

Like a woman demanding respect, the ocean will not answer to your negligence

But rather, she will bask in your obedience to her

You’re each other’s strengths and weaknesses

But overall, you’re child and she is mother