Hard To Believe

[Stephen Whiteside]

Hard To Believe

© Stephen Whiteside 27.11.2012

It’s hard to believe, as I sit in my chair,
That two days ago, I was out in the sea,
Thinking I needed a bright orange flare,
Fearful my colleagues would lose sight of me.

Sometimes the rescuer needs to be saved.
I’d jumped in the water to answer a call
Of distress, but the path of the hero’s not paved.
Where would I stand at the end of it all?

The boat I was chasing moved faster than me,
In spite of the fact that its sails were slack.
The waves tossed my body contemptuously;
They carried me forward, then swept me right back.

I’m just a small dot in a massive expanse.
Sometimes they see me, and sometimes they don’t.
Will I be plucked from this cold, lonely dance?

Maybe I will be, and maybe I won’t.

It’s hard to believe, as I sit in this room,
That two days ago I was out in the wild;
Relieved, for a while, from the city’s dull gloom,
Free, for a short time, as Nature’s sweet child.

For surely that’s true? It’s a double edged sword.
You’re testing your luck - both the sweet and the sour -
When you take a step back from the civilised horde,
And subject your body to Nature’s brute power.

Have I regrets? No, I have none at all.
Though I feared for the shark that might latch on my thigh;
When you choose to surrender to Nature’s broad thrall,
Sometimes you falter, and sometimes you fly.

Now I have memories - out of control
On a broad sweep of water way out on the bay -
To balance the weight of the burdening toll
The city relentlessly musters my way.

Out of control? Yes, I guess that’s the key.
You can’t close the door on the Law of the Land.
You can’t flick a switch for the wind and the sea;
You can’t pull the curtains on sunshine and sand.

It’s hard to believe as I sit here at home
With tele, computer, and books on my shelf,
That two days ago I was bobbing in foam
With nothing and no-one and nought...but myself.

[Maureen K Clifford]

Very glad to see you survived the experience and cheated the shark of his dinner Stephen - you are far braver than I am I hate the water at the best of times much less in inclement weather.

A good write and an enjoyable read

Cheers

Maureen

[Stephen Whiteside]

Thanks, Maureen. I don't think the risk of shark attack is very high at all, but I can't say it isn't on my mind!