To Ocean City

Asbury Avenue in Ocean City, NJ.

Today’s photo is more of a snapshot than anything creative or artsy.  It’s a recent snapshot, taken this past summer from a point in front of the site which once housed my parents’ store and the apartment that we lived in at 835 Asbury Ave. in Ocean City, NJ.  We lived there during the first 5 years of my life and it’s still one of my favorite places on earth!  Why did I post it?  In October of 1954, Hurricane Hazel hit Ocean City and I have vivid memories of standing at our second floor living room window watching a large metal billboard on the side of the large brick building in this photo as is blew in the wind, buckled and eventually was torn from the side of the building.  Ocean City had significant damage, the streets were flooded and my sister and I were evacuated to Camden, NJ by my grandfather while my parents cleared the floodwater from their store.

Ocean City appears to be right in the path of Hurricane Irene and my thoughts are with everyone there and throughout the hurricane’s path.  A few years ago I saw this poem in a favorite take-out establishment in OC and copied it down.  It states pretty clearly my feelings about OC.

TO OCEAN CITY

I have your sand in both my shoes, your sea salt in my blood,

And just the mention of your name, brings memories like a flood.

For the wind is making whitecaps, and the waves they seem to say,

Come back, you child of Neptune, to your ocean and your bay.

Ocean City’s where your heart is, and wherever you may roam,

Your soul won’t rest ’til you return, to this your island home.

                                                                                                 by  Bob Church