Original DDE™ surrealistic art: “Storm Tossed” by: rob kistner © 11/14/23
~ A SEA SHANTY ~
—< § >—
Loved my life — yet life felt empty
was then I looked the water’s way
a racing sailor’s life for me
a solo skiff to set me free
a schooner for a crewing day
a racing sailor’s life for me
I sailed with speed to victory
this racing life blew me away
a racing sailor’s life for me
sometimes the sea roared angrily
sometimes a peaceful rocking sway
a racing sailor’s life for me
I raced no fear relentlessly
and lived my dream life ev’ry’day
a racing sailor’s life for me
weather harsh or weather kindly
in gratitude I’d always pray
a racing sailor’s life for me
the oceans roll and trade winds blow
I now ride heaven’s ebb and flow
*
rob kistner © 2024
Poetry at: dVerse
Southern Cross — a constellation used for navigation in the southern oceans.
Fiddler’s Green — a sailor’s heaven for those lost at sea.
An ancient tale of love and the squally sea, Rob, revisited in your inimitable way, with a nice touch of mythology in Fiddler’s Green.
I sailed past the love in the first draft you read Kim, to land in a racing skiff, then on to Fiddler’s Green… 😉
blown off the course you might have imagined but such a happy ending
I rode the wind way past this first draft that you read. These wee hours brought the finished piece to me — now posted to read… 🙂
A cautionary tale, Rob – and I only hope Fiddler’s Green is all it’s cracked up to be…
How could a paradise called Fiddler’s Green not be magical… 😉
Interesting take on the prompt. Stay blessed
Much love…
Thank you Gillena. Much love. I am pleased my first draft caught your eye. I just now posted the finished piece. 🙂
Ah, this is beautiful, Rob!
Thank you my friend. I was part of a two-man racing skiff for two summers in the late 70’s. It was my friend’s craft so he was on rudder, I was on sails. We actually won a couple times, as long as we could stay out of the sea!. Dave is now among my friends who have sailed off to the grande regatta in the sea! A windward tack and on til morning! 🙁
The schiff in storm, such an image… and we do enjoy the speed until we go under don’t we? and that’s not just at sea
My buddy Dave and I, when we were both young men and before he passed, could really get his Westell 505 flying. What great fun, and such a sense of freedom. We sailed that five-oh with reckless abandon, and had to peel his sails off the water more than once. The spinnaker was the real bitch to get upright after capsize. We got pretty good at it — we had to… 😉 Dave and I also loved our motorcycles, as well as his “five-oh-five”. We were both adrenaline junkies, so we loved speed — on asphalt or water. 🙂
*take a peek >>>. https://youtu.be/j3OE0Idt7Gk
Oh, the love of the ocean draws you in. I was in a small sailboat once when a rain squall came in suddenly, it was intense but exhilarating at the same time. Wonderful take on the trillonet.
Thank you so much Di! The ocean is fascinating to look at, but it terrifies me. I am a mountain, forest, lake, and river man. 🙂
I love how you personified this Trilonnet. And how you ended it!!!
It’s a sailor’s life for me — NOT! 😉