Candle photo credit: Erin Pope

Over the summer, Terra Linda lost one of its most beloved teachers, Mr. Erik Stenberg. His charisma, caring disposition, and passion for social justice and helping others will be remembered by everyone he connected with while at Terra Linda. Many former and current students and Terra Linda staff attended his Celebration of Life memorial service in Napa on Saturday, September 1st. He is survived by his wife, Kyla, and their three kids. He will truly be missed.

The Voice wants to acknowledge that this is an emotional time for many students and staff members, while still paying homage to our teacher, colleague and friend. A more extensive memorial publication is in the works for our semester magazine. If you have a special memory or a photo you would like to contribute to this endeavor, please contact the Voice or stop by room 307 with any ideas, writings or photos.

Ms. Crawford, a fellow English teacher at Terra Linda, wrote and shared this poem at Erik Stenberg’s memorial service. After helping to clean out Erik Stenberg’s room at the beginning of the school year, she searched for understanding towards life and death. The recurring themes of her poem are finding solace and being in the moment; she feels these most strongly at the beach. She hopes this poem can help others to find their own metaphorical beach and find peace after the passing of Erik Stenberg.

The Land greets the Sea  – By Crawford Sanders

When considering questions of life and death,

there is no better place to find oneself than

where the land greets the sea.

Where the sand can span

what seems like an eternity, in all directions;

before you the sea infinity, behind you the land boundless.

You can stand at that point and breathe – in that moment

where you can remember the past

and imagine your future.

You can see and embrace all that is life

and you can face what is death, the unseen.

So powerful is this place where the land greets the sea,

that you can stand in this point and breathe in this breath

and be in this moment,

in all that was,

in all that is unseen.

This point

the land

greets the sea,

This point

to be

greets

no more.

This point?

not a mathematician.

Not a point. Certainly not a point.

A singular point?

A single breath

a single beat away.

…not a single point.

Not a single abrupt moment

where past collides with future

and life is met with death.

Certain of  this

because you can stand on its shore,

your feet planted firmly on land,

but you are not bound to this point,

this moment,

this breath.

Your breath sustains your body

But it does not define your soul.

I know this

certainly I can stand on its shore

my feet buried in the land

yet, I am not bound.

Towards the sea,my toes grip the land, yet I…

sink, and the sea greets me.

The sea greets me,

the sea engulfs me,

I am unseen,

yet, my toes are still buried in the land.

At this place, on the shore where the land greets the sea,

There is no single point in which the land ends and the sea cesses to be.

No single point between past and future, life and death, to be and no more.

I know this

Because I can slip deep into the sea, yet the land is still below me,

You will not see me.

But I am here.

I am still with the land,

I can dive down to its jagged floor,

I can plunge to its surface and I can breath with you – in this moment,

in this place

where the land

greets the sea

Return to this point where the sand can span eternity

You can breathe and believe

in this moment, where the

past has no judgement

the future no fear, and

life no end,

in this place where the land greets the sea,

where ever, for you, that may be.