---

for many days...
i've wandered this dry, unmoving land;

felt it's soil slip between my fingers,
trod its paths
and meandered
along its alleyways;

yet my heart cries out
for the crash of waves
against the bow,

the roll of the ship in rough waters;

the challenge...

that only the sea
can bring;

with her remarkable,
spellbinding beauty;

unparalleled
in the thirst and hunger
for adventure
she evokes.

that magical sea
that helps me forget
the one true love
who abandoned me... so long ago:

Danielle Maree;

the only thing that i've ever known
more alluring than the sea itself;
with hair of spun gold
and eyes of a color that
simply defies description!

breathtaking...
in physical beauty
and spiritual ambiance...

captivating... with lilting words
of her immortal and mesmerizing poetry;

and her siren voice... irresistible!

upon first glance,
i could not turn away...
and upon hearing her verse,
i was involuntarily transported
to places i'd only dreamed about;

upon touching her hand,
and imbibing
in her heady, lustrous gaze,
i knew that the sea
had finally met its match...

and there, for a brief eternity,
i was entranced within
her unbreakable spell,
beholden to her innermost wishes,
constantly reveling
in the life-giving warmth
of her
unforgettable embrace,
feeling her satin breath upon my neck;
drinking of her sweet,
passion-filled whispers
in my ear...

until one day, without warning,

she left me...

cold and alone;
aching with the memory of her
tantalizing touch,
longing
for the depths of life and love
that only she
helped me see.

for she had captured my heart
and, just as quickly,
she had betrayed
our sacred trust;

for me...
only one thing remained:
to return to my loyal maiden;
she to whom i had long ago been wed -
the faithful, beckoning sea.

for my secrets she holds
in depths from which
she will never speak --
my ultimate confidant;
my perfect mistress;

bold and undaunted;
infinite in her priceless wisdom;
complete...
in her boundless wealth.

her scent exhilarates my senses;
her voice...
the music that calls my name,
in each breeze
that sings across the deck.

for i know that land...
holds no promise for me;
the streets have no enticing glow;
and my true reflection
cannot be found
in any of the windows
that i walk past.

there, my dreams are empty;
the soulless lights
a stark and painful reminder
of the only thief to ever truly steal my heart;

there, my breath is not the same,
and truth does not seek me;

instead...

the sea is my only home;
my amorous reality;
and I am bound to her
by bonds that have never been broken:
she never fails me;
she never abandons me;

and her surface reflects the truth in me;
and stokes the fires of courage
that make me fight to sail;
that make me scream with heartfelt passion
for all that i believe:

that this thirst is one which mere wine cannot quench;
that this hunger is one that will bleed within me, always!
and...
that this voyage is one that shall live on... forever.

never again will i seek
a mortal union,

for i know that, no matter where i reach port,
the ocean will always remain my one perfect love,

and to her welcoming, unshakable grandeur,

i will always gladly,

and proudly...

return.

Copyright (c) Jeff Mason