Neither Out Far Nor In Deep
The people along the sand
All turn and look one way.
They turn their back on the land.
They look at the sea all day.As long as it takes to pass
A ship keeps raising its hull;
The wetter ground like glass
Reflects a standing gullThe land may vary more;
But wherever the truth may be–
The water comes ashore,
And the people look at the sea.They cannot look out far.
They cannot look in deep.
But when was that ever a bar
To any watch they keep?—Robert Frost
Those of us who identify as seekers know the struggle. Life continually presents the opportunity to awaken to a higher nature or purpose. It takes a conscious effort to combat inertia.
Reading “Neither Out Far Nor In Deep” reminds me that gaining perspective is possible through engagement and relationship with one’s reality; looking honestly and with compassion at all the parts we love and loathe.
The sea, with its fathomless deeps, might be rich with discovery. It would, however, take going a little farther than the shoreline to encounter the deep wisdom of water.
The land, too, offers much to see and much to contemplate. Perhaps the poet calls us to engage with the wisdom inherent in the earth, but it is not sought by the people in the poem.
I wonder, then, are they seekers? Why do they keep watch?
Are we really so different, after all?
—Jessica Lien, Prairiewoods development coordinator