Point Nemo - Oct 13 2024

 

Point Nemo

Oct 13 2024

Why the albatross

is an omen of misfortune

baffles me.

Imagine

remaining airborne for years

without touching down,

only occasionally

lazily flapping

its 10 foot wings.

But mostly, they remain extended,

forming a body

of aerodynamic perfection

honed to flight.

So it looks weightless as it soars,

perfectly still

and peering down,

coasting just above the waves

as they rise and fall.

Where the South Polar Sea

girds the planet

unobstructed by land

the wind is unstoppable,

and the big bird

on its 10 foot span

need never land;

living in the air

and eating on the fly,

even sleeping

in short nocturnal bursts.

In the remotest place on earth

amidst massive waves

and fickle winds

that rise to gales,

this self-sufficient bird

is perfectly at home,

content

all by itself.

So for seekers of solitude

certainly not

an omen of misfortune.

But instead

in a place as remote and unwelcoming

as any that exists,

a worthy exemplar

of keeping your distance

and time alone.

A noble creature

fulfilling its minor role

in nature’s unknowable plan.

Point Nemo is a notional spot on the South Polar Sea that is as far in any direction as one can get from land. It’s a hostile place where humans venture at great risk, but the albatross is in its element, and perfectly content.

“Solitude” is probably a more suitable title, but I thought this more cryptic one would be less ho-hum and more enticing. Also, the inspiration for this poem came from a couple of lines near the beginning of a fascinating article (the Atlantic; Nov 2024) about Point Nemo. Here’s a link:

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2024/11/point-nemo-most-remote-place/679947/