Last Dive in Koh Tao

I spent two weeks scuba diving with my 18 yr/old son in Koh Tao, Thailand. I left him there for several months to work on becoming a dive instructor. These were my thoughts upon the last day.

Last dive in Koh Tao.

Neither sadness or glee finds me…

rather a satisfied melancholy,

complexities bathe

mind, heart, soul ~

feeling ever so much a father.

 

Being a man

distracted with needs and joys,

selfishness and sacrifice,

wanting to guide and still, somehow…

let go

of memories past and yet to come ~

 

A creature of habit and exploration,

preferences and possibilities

searching ever

upon a solid foundation,

and... I feel gratitude, quivering

anxious to trust;

trusting faith will restore its own resolution

and again... gratitude

for all we have been these past

years, weeks, days, moments ~

The orange sun setting

upon the milky green waters of Chalok Bay

contrasts a rising joy in my heart,

hope dawning the sky of the unwritten day ~

I turn from the gentle voice of the sea

this haunting shall remain an echo in my heart,

a blaze of tropical light

etched within the lids of eyes closed

in thankful prayer,

before they must open

to guide this lucky castaway

back through asphalt jungles

to the inconveniences of civilization

knowing as fact only this…

I am forever changed;

longing to breathe this change

into each moment of an otherwise ordinary life ~

in this moment...  this is who I am

Reviews

[Ed Hart]

most parents, certainly fathers, in the legacy of manhood, must feel the stretch and pull of moments such as this...what a wonderful adventure you shared, and then the release, the letting go...wonderfully wrought, touching...

[David Scott]

Thank you for reading Ed. Thank you even more for understanding the heart of a father. I felt vulnerable in this write... We see our mortality most vividly in the maturation of our children.

[Vatsal Rohilla (account..]

Ah! Such a lovely piece to read. Imagery is pretty nice.
"The orange sun setting
upon the milky green waters of Chalok Bay
contrasts a rising joy in my heart,
hope dawning the sky of the unwritten day "
These lines are my favourite. Well-written. Keep writing.

[David Scott]

Thank you for reading. I miss it already... :) My son will be coming home next month! Yeah!

[J.J. NIGHTINGALE]

.... Sounds wonderful...peaceful ...... calm
Well written...................... I like the style.....


Jazzy

[J.J. NIGHTINGALE]

OK SORRY......................................

[J.J. NIGHTINGALE]

You still had to fly there ..right ???

[J.J. NIGHTINGALE]

500-600$ each way..? Maybe you get a cheap flight.... Sorry..I'll never comment again.... I am obviously out of my depth...

[J.J. NIGHTINGALE]

GO SCUBA DIVE...BYE

[David Scott]

Thank you for taking the time to read this thought.
We are friends and you are always welcome on my page.

[J.J. NIGHTINGALE]

:)............

[Chris]

Thanks for taking the time and EFFORT to sooooooo write this as it needed to be...

[David Scott]

Thank you Chris. I will admit the format is inspired by the way you write your poetry. I know I do not find the same complexities as you can, but your style seems to help convey the emotions of profound moments in life. I have learned a great deal from the writers here on the WC.
Thank you for sharing your gifts and teaching me. Also, thank you for taking the time to read one of my poems today.

[Ruth]

This is so beautiful David, so much insight, thought and acceptance wrapped into it...the son pursuing his life and the father supportive...rare in this world these days...that gave me a smile :) The visuals are magnificent and touching...a heartfelt piece that gave me a look into another world and the graceful "satisfied melancholy"...just beautiful :)

[David Scott]

Thank you Poppy. It is a challenging and wonderful phase of life for parents and children...
I'm glad the poetry conveyed a small portion of the emotion.

[...]

So much flavor here...
The magic of another place. The realization of another time, another chance...tasting a new beginning, the bittersweet, watching your son become a man, feeling your man heart become a boy's again..."Longing to breathe this change into an otherwise ordinary life". I understand your "satisfied melancholy" and I even suspect he looks just like you :) You know how important this space, to just BE, is. This acceptance is your gift...
The whole damn thing is beautiful :) and I've saved it

[David Scott]

You are so kind to me. Thank you Lynn. Life is not complicated, it is simply complex. Ha. Thank you for seeing my heart here.

[emmajoy]

' The orange sun setting - upon the milky green waters of Chalok Bay - contrasts a rising joy in my heart, - hope dawning the sky of the unwritten day ~ - - I turn from the gentle voice of the sea - this haunting shall remain an echo in my heart.. '

There's a strange - almost misplaced melancholy in your words. That dive, that adventure seems to have left more than one mark, or the definition of it has proved almost too much to hold inside you. For me, diving is a discovery of an unknown self.. another tangent of the human spirit and so very beautiful.

Leaving your son behind in that wonderful place to create his own adventures must have been, is, emotional to a point of wondering how to express needs and reasons. The two of you will surely survive as beautifully as you've written.

[David Scott]

Thank you Emma. I'm learning to be in the moment more... Life is full of gifts. Your review is comforting and encouraging.

[Weeping willow]

Wonderfully expressed through the emotions of life,always changing,pushing our lives forward to the next level in life;-]

[David Scott]

Thank you for your comment Willow.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

nothing like getting away from the asphalt jungle and finding this kind of serenity...

i remember leaving NY in the summers and going to Vermont...that was my serenity...and now just thoughts of those days of a kid there...that is exactly what i needed then...and wish i could recapture now.

this mood helped a lot...thank you for putting that in your poem.

[David Scott]

Thank you Jacob. It was surreal. Leaving my son there was a very mixed experience.

[The Rock And Roll Cowbo..]

Oh yes, nature can teach us so much... it is like the hand of God guiding us... a fantastic piece of self discovery poetry.

[David Scott]

Than you for your reflections here Dale.