Shifting Sands
Shifting Sands - meaning Summary
Sea as Vanished Presence
The poem contrasts vast, changing natural forces with a quiet, intimate image of a sleeping beloved. Repetition—"Demons and marvels / Winds and tides"—creates a relentless backdrop: the sea has "already vanished," yet two small waves remain in the lover's half-closed eyes. The speaker likens the person to sea-grass, gently moved by currents; those residual waves offer both solace and the threat of being overwhelmed, mixing tenderness with fragile loss.
Read Complete AnalysesDemons and marvels Winds and tides In the distance the sea has already vanished Demons and marvels Winds and tides And you Like sea-grass touched gently by the wind In your bed of sand you shift in dreams Demons and marvels Winds and tides In the distance the sea has already vanished But in your half-closed eyes Two little waves remain Demons and marvels Winds and tides Two little waves in which to drown.
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