Upon the Sea

For those of you who find the subject uninteresting, I promise to return to my regular programming on the next post. However, today I must offer one more posting related to the ocean. Even now I find myself curled up on a bunk aboard the sloop Blacksilver several miles off the entrance to San Diego Harbor, having spent nearly forty hours out at sea these past few days. Each of us, if we are fortunate, has the opportunity to discover the places and activities which make us truly happy. Those are the times when we feel more alive and at peace, like we have discovered our place in the world. Most often when we make such discoveries they relate to leisure time, but some are lucky enough meld those passions with their daily lives. One of those activities, for me at least, is sailing. While my opportunities to do so are limited and sometimes inconvenient, perhaps that makes them all the more valuable. When I am at sea, I relax completely and my cares seem to melt away … at least for a time. If you are a regular reader it may be obvious that my heart leans heavily in said direction and I may even be overzealous in sailing-related metaphors. Hopefully I don’t tire you of my musings thereon. In the meantime, however, I submit the following offering which was written, edited and even posted from out at sea, at least a little way. My wish for you is that, in some area of your life, you may find the peace I know at this very moment. If you’re still looking, don’t give up on your search … it’s out there somewhere. In the meantime, I hope you find something for yourself in my words. Smooth sailing and fair winds to you and yours.

Upon the Sea
The sky has cleared to perfect blue
The wind and sea are gentle now
As I recline at my favorite perch
Upon the pulpits at the bow
The western swell upon our quarter
Rocks me, easy as you please
As I gaze out, transfixed
Across the trackless reach of seas
All the way to the horizon
Where my unbroken view
Stretches out, it seems, forever
With naught but dreams of restless blue
This is the moment I was born for
The very place I longed to be
With the deep awash beneath my keel
And my heart upon the sea
By Frank Carpenter ©