Ocean View
By Sharisse Scott-Rawlins
Inhale —
like the sea rising to meet the shore.
Let the air drift in,
cool and clean,
as if the sky cracked open
to pour calm into your chest.
The breeze
weaves through your hair like silk,
brushes your skin
like it’s waited all day
just to touch you.
The sun lingers —
not harsh,
but warm,
a soft gold on your shoulders,
a hug whispering,
“You are safe in my arms.”
The ocean hushes you —
not with silence,
but with sound that settles:
waves folding in,
then folding out,
as if the earth breathes with you,
as if everything knows
how much you needed this moment.
Exhale —
release the noise,
the need to be more than this:
bare,
breathing,
whole.
You are here.
Held by wind,
by water,
by sky.
Inhale again —
feel calm rise in your chest,
like a tide catching light.
You are not just alive.
You are allowed —
to pause,
to belong,
to this breath,
this breeze,
this moment.
Sharisse Scott-Rawlins is a third-generation washashore Islander from Oak Bluffs. A multifaceted creative, she is a poet, writer, and seasoned fashion designer with more than 15 years of experience in the industry. Follow her poetry journey and latest work on Instagram: @sharisse.speaks and @bysharisse.
Poets with a connection to Martha’s Vineyard are encouraged to submit poems to community@mvtimes.com. Please include a bio of two to three sentences.
