Although I clamber
To find rare gems still hidden
I remain centered
Recalling my ancestors
And the greatness they achieved
.
With no assurance
Brave men pressed into the void
(Dreaming together)
Knowing that much would be gained
In far-flung explorations
.
Hark those forerunners
Of ocean exploration,
Vasco Da Gama,
Bartolomeu Diaz, and
Sir Ferdinand Magellan
.
Traversing oceans
On dark forbidding waters-
Fearlessly hopeful-
These adventurers sailed off
To discover the unknown
.
Beyond what they knew
They journeyed forth together,
Sturdy as storms raged,
Each seeking to understand
As their dreams were buffeted
.
A fierce wind picks up
From a far distant silence
All hearts now aware
Listening for the first drops
The storm begins in earnest
.
As if the lightening
Across a chill sky could chase
Parrots from the spar,
Cold wind hammers the foc’sle
With stark indifference
.
Bearing obstacles,
With cruel deprivation,
Many lost their lives,
Persevering together
Seeking goals they saw beyond
.
In a dead man’s hand,
A final rain-soaked letter
Crumpled in a ball,
Fierce winds howl through wooden masts
Cormorants struggle above
.
Knowing life and death
As two sides of the same coin,
Each held destiny
As a personal calling
Without any wavering
.
Working together
In spirit-felt unity,
Their faith became seeds
With which the furrows were sown
In prevision of harvest
.
richard lloyd cederberg
3/2016
.
“Hark now hear the sailors cry, smell the sea and feel the sky, let your soul and spirit fly, into the mystic…” Van Morrison.

     richardlloydcederberg.com