Lonely Along The Shore

By Andre Swanepoel

A blissful poetical journey into distant, envisioned lands, quiet background to a profound exploration of the soul, through the abandoning of roots too tight to glide into treacherous, although long-cherished, freedom. The great Unknown captivates and intimidates those who hear the call of the wilderness: they unfold into wanderers, only guided by fervent hopes. The sky and the elements become faithful friends, whose guidance is required for a safe crossing and, perhaps, to be advised for a still elusive future. It is a solitary path, the search for self, fraught with perils and traps, and sad fragments of past lives. Sometimes the road rides on the verge of insanity, Lonely Along The Shore, but the traveller’s quenchless thirst urges them ahead, through pastoral scenes calling their name. The gentle odes resonate with our deepest desires to be better humans, or just to be elsewhere, away from the too-narrow ties of an existence we can’t fully master nor understand. We are pushed by our questions to go farther, and yet the answers are seldom what we were expecting, but what we really needed. Who are we? Where do we belong? There are no definite answers, only an eternal quest for self.

Andre Swanepoel is a qualified medical doctor, a proud South African, and harbours a passion for people and the human condition from where his love of poetry has its origin. He has seen his share of suffering, heartache and joy, and pulls from these very human experiences the inspiration for his poetry, which guards his sanity and provides a backdrop for crucial narratives. In life, work and poetry, he seeks to capture the essence of what it means to be human, and therefore fallible, which he believes is preferable to being invincible. There is hope in the darkness and joy amid our sorrow, and he seeks to uncover and share it. The belief that words, love and unity heal all wounds is dear to his heart. To date, he has multiple publications available online and in print. His poetry journey started as a form of journaling but quickly evolved to a short-form practice of hastily scribbled sticky notes available online and on Instagram at @swansongs01.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Europa Edizioni
• Release date: Nov 30, 2022
• ISBN: 9791220134620

Book preview

Introduction

We are voyagers, you and I.

En-route to some promised shore with glistening sands and beaches lined with palm trees in cocktail dresses that sway with the tropical breeze. Intoxicated by the mirage on the horizon, we navigate the path to our paradise, but in so doing we lose sight of the shore and return to find our city in ruins.

We are lost. We are lonely. We are broken.

Through my words, I seek to embrace all voyagers as with a prayer; may the words resonate with your deepest ache and furthest longing, and may you find light and comfort and a sense of belonging in their presence.

These are the lights along the shore that guide us to the home that we seek, but, inevitably, never find.

Foreword

by the Editor

A blissful poetical journey into distant and envisioned lands, quiet background to a profound exploration of the author's soul, accompanying us through the abandoning of roots too tight to glide into treacherous, although long-cherished, freedom.

Where do we belong? Our origins, the author says, are a fragile balance that give us the strength to grow, muffled like in a snow globe; once we achieve some stability, however, we need to extricate ourselves from them before they choke us, even if it means leaving behind a dusty desert, so we can take the leap to hover in the far breeze.

The great Unknown captivates and intimidates those who dream from behind a comforting window; even though they believe they already have all that they desire, a sense of disturbance hovers in their nightly dreams, and eventually their existence seems dull as they hear the call of the wilderness; it is perhaps to the voice of the wind that they ascribe that blow to spread their wings, if they