Thursday, April 17, 2014

A to Z Challenge - "O"


O as in "Offshore Sailing"

(Excerpted from Moments of the Heart,
A Book of Poems and Short Prose)


Offshore Sailing

White Wings on an Ocean
            defying the moon's pull.
The sailor laughs himself
            off the harsh brown land.
His hold crammed for survival,
            he tempts death.

White Wings on an Ocean,
            straining, a billowing team.
The sailor braces against his contrary wheel
            raping the rudder as lines wail taut.
The storm flogs with malice.
                       
White Wings on an Ocean
            screamed into shreds
that bandage the mast. 
            A halyard flails.
Lifelines gone;
            the dinghy torn off.

The sailor weeps for soft green meadows.

4 comments:

  1. Hi Inge .. fascinating and worrying poem re Offshore Sailing ... love the words and then the ultimate 'prayer' .. "The sailor weeps for soft green pasture" ... I'm sure that's true ..

    Cheers Hilary

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  2. excellent poem and neat A to Z choices. I went back to read through a sailing adventure. Enjoy the rest of A to Z

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  3. Husband and I took our 15 foot Montgomery to the San Juans one year and experienced some of this. "His hold crammed for survival he tempts death"....we have said this a few times jokingly, but the wide open ocean scares me.
    Shells–Tales–Sails

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  4. @ Hilary, @ Joanne, and @ Sharon,
    Thanks for reading my stuff - and have a great Easter while I go and wrestle up something with "R" - I have the "Q" down at least.

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