Same Obsession

There are two kinds of sameness—
The sameness of resemblance,
And the sameness that is not

Completely changed from itself.
Liquid waves exemplify
Both kinds at once, constantly.

Each wave resembles others,
And its shape keeps some sameness,
And wave after wave passes

Through nearly stationary
Water that stays much the same.
Waves bewitch mind made of waves.

When an ocean fills the frame,
The monotony of waves
Is all but unbearable,

Crushing, deadening, and yet
Their endless repetition
Is also an illusion.

They carry information,
Like all waves, and can be read,
And are not, in fact, endless.

What is it then? Symmetry,
Redundancy in the old
And modern sense—what is it?

It’s all waves, while these are waves
That advertise their sameness.
Minds can drown in how they change.