I Must Go Down to the Sea
I must go down to the seaS again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea’s face and a grey dawn breaking.
I must go down to the seaS again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.
I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.
– John Masefield
It was last weekend…I was hot, tired frustrated therefore my coping skills were close to zero and so sadness was washing over me… I was in the middle of a 2 day show, and that is just a boat load of work. After a Friday eve set up with a few mishaps, and a full day of show sales, and heat, I was pretty much a dishcloth ready to be wrung out to hung up to dry. Thank goodness for old friends and the sea. I will just call the friends SMG to protect their privacy. I quietly roll (hybrid so it is virtually silent) into their driveway and puddle into their couch. First a wonderful glass of wine meets my hand- already it’s getting better! Then S says, let’s go down to the boat and float , watch the sunset and breathe some restorative sea air. It was perfect! We did not leave the mooring, which was also perfect for it required no extra energy! M happily puttered and played, we contentedly sipped our wine, watched the waters swirl, the sun hide, and the sea healed a tired soul – mine. Thanks to wonderful friends who just “get it”, and wonderfully happen to have an amazing sailboat we could sit upon, and the sea with all her rhythms of sight, sound, and motion. Dinner, a good nights sleep, and Sunday was indeed a new day which went easier than the day before. Keep on trucking….
