Day 13
Listening. Becoming.
Sore feet, sore thumbs,
Sore knees, sore bum
Hard to move, hard to nap,
Hard to eat, hard to crap
Inbound goffers from all directions,
A wet slap in the face,
The angry sea’s embrace?
All night rowing. Cold, wet and tired.
Playlists silenced, much contemplation
What the —— am I doing in the middle of this ocean?
A new dawn breaks, the pale light of positivity glows,
Every day is a school day and today I’ve much to know.
Change your shoes or socks and sandles,
Even bare foot and slippers if the feet can handle it
Move your thumb, change your grip
Move your belt buckle so your thumbs don’t get hit.
Crawl don’t walk on the slippery deck
Use the bucket by the door, we don’t want that shit on the floor.
Listen to the boat, it’s not trying to beat you
Learn its ways, it’s trying to teach you.
Look at the waves , their power and their glory,
Listen to their voices, learn their stories.
In the pit of the night with no moon or stars,
The waves will tell you where they are.
Not with a cold wet slap to the chin, more an arm round the shoulder, welcoming in
Leave your old ways behind and your ego at the port, Out here on the ocean they are both worth nought .
Listen to the boat, she will be your teacher,
Feel the ocean, she’s trying to reach you
Become. Become one.
By David Radford-Wilson, Invictus Atlantic.
