What do windsurfing and poetry have in common? Apparently, nothing. But Michael Fallent found a way to blend both worlds. He says windsurfing is his verse.
Michael Fallent is a windsurfer from Austria. He decided to add the words of Walt Whitman to a beautiful video shot by Katerina Kris.
The poem entitled "O Me! O Life!" can be found in "Leaves of Grass," a poetry collection published by the American writer in 1895.
Back in the day, the book was considered offensive and obscene, but it survived time, and it is now read and seen as a classic.
The windsurfing life, portrayed in the video by Michael Fallent, is similar to life in general - it is also made of small details and simple gestures.
The wind, the sand, the wait, the thrill - life is precious, and so are the words.
So, if you ever feel confused, or find yourself questioning the meaning of life, remember Fallent's words: "Windsurfing is my verse. What will your verse be?"
O Me! O Life! | Poem by Walt Whitman (Leaves of Grass, 1895)
"Oh me! Oh life! of the questions of these recurring,
Of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities fill'd with the foolish,
Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)
Of eyes that vainly crave the light, of the objects mean, of the struggle ever renew'd,
Of the poor results of all, of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me,
Of the empty and useless years of the rest, with the rest me intertwined,
The question, O me! so sad, recurring-What good amid these, O me, O life?
Answer.
That you are here-that life exists and identity,
That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.