I sat between the breakwaters,
Watched the sea
Make its endless dance.
It needs no command,
No decision,
It has no vision
Of past or present,
Thinks not of tomorrow
For all are irrelevance.
The sea was
And is
And will ever be.

But for me
The dance will one day cease,
The music will stop and I shall be
Just a memory.

So I need to dance more
While I can,
Hear louder music than before,
Sing and be glad
For the days I am given
So the memory
Is of joy, not sorrow
And I’ll not think
Of tomorrow
Until it comes.

They say that on a clear day
You can see across to France.
There are clouds today but
At a glance I’m seeing
Pevensey, Eastbourne and
Beachy Head.

They said it was the perfect place to jump,
And many did –
Rid themselves of their heavy load,
Not seeing any other road
But the brief fall into the dark
And silence.

I hope for a sudden death –
No lingering in a drugged dream
In which it seems I’m still alive
But which deceives no-one –
Let me fall asleep one night
With a cup of tea beside my bed,
Drifting towards the light.