|
THE SEA, by
Jerome Thomas"
He said, "Speak to
me of the sea."
And I said, "Beauty."
The beauty of crystal waves lapping at a tropical beach.
Or a proud ship laboring in running sea;
Of a dark ghosting beneath a fire-red sky,
Or lightning flashes in the blackened heavens;
Of an albatross soaring above the emerald swell,
Of wind fraying the slate-gray sea -
The beauty of God, Himself, in the stars, the sky,
and the vast ocean
He begged, "More of the sea,"
So I replied, "Power,"
Power to crumple steel hulls and splinter wood spars,
Or blow out canvas and snap chain cable;
To flood continents and drown islands,
Or carry life to a barren atoll;
To spawn deadly storm and wild hurricane,
Or a blessed rain and fair monsoon.
The Power of the hand of God across Man's earth.
He said, "It is not enough, tell me more,"
So I answered, "Hardship."
The hardship of a razor wind and freezing water,
Or a dying breeze and the salty swell;
Of a glaring sun and burned skin,
Or a black sky and raw wet clothes;
Of numbed limbs and weary body,
Or sleepless nights and the monotony of a watery desert.
The hardship of all who work God's sea.
|
He said "Tell me more of the sea."
So I said, "Challenge."
The challenge of a rising gale or shifting breeze,
Of a wild sea or a flat calm,
Of a torn lashing sail or an ebbing tide,
Of an iced deck or fouled anchor,
Of uncharted waters or strange shore.
The challenge of God to man, to tame his sea.
He asked, "Is there more?"
And I spoke, "Fear."
The fear of broken masts and rent sail,
Or open seam and strained hull;
Of shallow water and dangerous shoals,
Or deep oceans and mountainous waves;
Of gales of wind and raging typhoon,
Of lifeless puffs and starving crew.
The fear that God instills in those who travel his sea.
So He asked, "And what is the sea to you?"
I answered, "My life's Breath."
The breath of adventure and excitement,
Of challenge and wandering;
Happiness and fulfillment,
Despair and pain;
Of hope and youth,
Patience and yearning.
The breath that God has br |
