"The Bahamas" - Bahamas AI Image/Adobe PS
©A. Derek Catalano
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Blessed Bahamas
I. The Spiritual Spark
Where the Great Bahama Bank meets the deep,
And the secrets of the ancient corals sleep,
A spirit moves upon the liquid glass,
Watching the seasons and the centuries pass.
The Lucayan ghosts in the limestone caves
Still hum to the rhythm of the turquoise waves,
While the steeple bells in the Sunday sun
Proclaim that the work of the Soul is done.
In the hush of the pine barrens, tall and still,
One feels the touch of a higher Will.
It is written in the salt of the morning spray,
In the fiery end of a tropical day.
To the believer, the islands are more than sand,
They are the print of a Creator’s hand—
A sanctuary where the weary may find
A sabbath for the heart and a balm for the mind.
II. The Philosophical Inquiry
But what is this "blessing"? the seeker asks,
Stripping away the aesthetic masks.
Is it found in the permanence of the stone,
Or the ephemeral foam that is briefly blown?
The philosopher weighs the shifting tides,
Where the logic of time and space resides.
Here, the horizon is a line of thought,
A lesson in how the "now" is caught.
Is a land blessed by the wealth it holds,
Or the stories its weathered history unfolds?
The blue holes offer a silent "Why?"
Reflecting the depth of the open sky.
Perhaps the blessing is the gift of sight—
The ability to distinguish the shadow from light,
To know that the island, though bounded by sea,
Is a metaphor for the soul’s liberty.
III. The Secular and Modern View
Shift the lens to the bustling street,
Where the rhythm of commerce and progress beat.
In the shadow of a hotel’s soaring height,
And the cruise ships glowing in the harbor night,
The "blessing" is measured in growth and in gold,
In the futures bought and the properties sold.
It is the WiFi signal on a remote cay,
The engine of tourism, the global decree.
It is the resilience after the storm has passed,
The will to rebuild while the skies are overcast.
The modern view is a practical grace—
Efficiency, travel, and a competitive pace.
Yet even in the rush of the digital age,
The Bahamian spirit remains on the stage;
It’s the laughter in a Fish Fry’s thick air,
A secular joy that is vibrant and rare.
IV. The Synthesis
So we stand at the edge where the three paths meet,
With the white-hot sand beneath our feet.
The spiritual, the deep, and the fast-paced life,
All carving a world through peace and strife.
The islands remain a magnificent whole,
Feeding the stomach and reaching the soul.
From the Exuma Cays to the Abaco pines,
The essence of "blessed" between the lines.
Regardless of the definition, being "blessed" usually implies a connection. It’s the realization that you are part of something larger than yourself and that your life has a value that isn't measured by your bank account or your status, but by the quiet harmony you find within and the kindness you share with others.
©A. Derek Catalano/Gemini
Related poem: The Bahamas is the Place to Be
