Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Poem: Celestial Navigation


The Carry On Tuesday prompt for this week, #43, comes from the opening lines of The Beatles' song "Love Me Too":

"Each day just goes so fast
I turn around--it's past."

Celestial Navigation
Each day goes so fast--
voyaging, we embark,
weatherworn mates,
compassing unfamiliar seas.
Shall we navigate by the stars?

I turn around—it's past.
Our children older by a day.
Time speeds through my fingers
like hempen sail cord
as we tack clumsily,
struggling to split the wind.

Our vessel heaves
upon white-tipped brine.
“Squalls Ahead”
warns teenage years,
We secure the boom once again,
returning to our course.

The salt breeze stings my eyes.
Submerging my fears,
I weep my hope.


Copyright 2010 by Susanne Barrett

P.S. Here's a photo of a Mariner 31, very similar to the sailboat I grew up sailing with my family:

2 comments:

sarah said...

oh, another who grew up sailing! beautiful boat! lovely poem too :-)

Stan Ski said...

Great use of sailing as a metaphor for the course we steer in life.

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