Ships sail past day and

Night-

You watch them from the safety

Of your own-

Behind the strength of aged

Wood,

Knurled rope,

And taut sails-

You examine each vessel as she

Drifts across your range of

Sight,

As you stand securely on

Your decks-

They float along, one by one-

No contact received from any-

No signals-

No signs-

Just a hulking craft sailing right

Under your nose,

As you sway steadily

Under the weight of your anchor-

Weighed down-

Safe-

Calm-

It’s easy to gaze at the passing

Ships

Behind the safety of rails and walls,

Oak and iron-

It’s effortless to watch as the waves

And the wind carry the beauty before

Your eyes-

To come and go-

There and gone-

No experience can be gained on the

High seas by dropping anchor

And drifting through a journey-

No prize can be obtained by watching

Life through a telescope-

No adventure can truly be felt behind

The protection of oak and iron-

No life can be fully lived in the shadows

As life drifts by-

We are all floating on a great sea-

Some of us blindly,

While others have plotted a course-

We are all captains of our own vessels-

Some at the wheel,

Others below deck-

Some hulks fresh and new,

Others battered and worn smooth-

Our colors, struck high and true,

Glistening in the wind,

Fluttering in that breeze with the pride

That comes with self reliance-

We are all sailing the same sea-

Whether we watch the ships pass

By from the front of our vessels,

Tall and proud,

Our sails full of wind-

Or from behind the safety of the

Rails, anchors dropped,

Is truly up to us*