Alive

These four lines express wonder at being alive, moving naturally from the world outside to an intimate feeling of gratitude.

“I see the wind fold the waves upon the water” is the strongest image. “Fold” gives the wind an almost physical touch, making the water feel like fabric being gently shaped. The heartbeat then brings that vast landscape back to the body: life becomes something felt directly.

“I kiss the ground” adds humility, while the final line gives the poem its emotional depth. “And still I can’t believe that all of this is mine” reads as astonishment at having a life to experience—an awareness that ordinary existence is an extraordinary gift.