a ship can be:
a cradle.
a coffin.
a confessional.
a home.
a cage.
a pew.
an animal.
an instrument.

~
Hand and needle,
weapons of mass protection.
Mending day called solace,
bitterness in every stitch.
When all guides disappear
the hand begins to tremble,
that is the material point.
Listen to the water,
the sea is full of memories.
It knows everything,
it feels nothing.

A rage is building.
The sails unfurl,
the wind follows.
A hundred years of
traversing the deep
on a ship full of opiates
and other distant mermaids.
This blood vessel,
cresting the heart of the wave,
you will never completely cross
this body of water
until you learn to trust
the hands that hold back
death and it's squall.

Even now they drop anchor, singing
into the starry sky:

"Gather ye fishermen's wives
As thy men roll out to sea
Pray one and all
Thy sails hold strong this day..."
~

Gael force set upon the waves
Aboard five daring souls,

To sail throughout the western isles
On fair winds, their only goals

But out to sea, just three days hence
They would all be left in awe

For waiting for Gael Force and the five
Lay the tempests violent and steely maw

From Mallaig did the five set out
Both spirits and hopes were high

“We’ll poke our nose oot” the skipper did cry
“At least we will give it a try”

The motor on and sails were down they headed out to sea
Not knowing what lay just ahead, oblivious as can be

Though sea's were rough and waves were high
and spray washed over the five

They motored on through growing swells
not able to come about, through fear for their lives.

The course was set, no turning back
The five did engage in battle

Though fear was seen in all their eyes
their determination could not be rattled.

The tempest had only just begun to test the daring five
A squall it began to spew up, with winds as cold as knives

"Starboard Bow" the second mate cried, and all looked right to see
A dark grey broiling mass, a towering foaming wall of sea.

The helmsman turned into the wave, as Gael Force climbed and climbed and crashing down the other side with a booming sound like thunder

wishing and hoping that Gael Force's bow, would not completely go under.

Squall upon squall lashed Gael force, with power and steal and fury
Skipper shouted out below," Its blowing a ****** Hooley"

Hour upon hour the tempest tried to drown the daring five
Throwing squalls and hail and towering seas,
The crew worked, just to stay alive.

Ardnamurchan point did beckon,
As towering seas grew higher

"Another 5 degrees starboard" navigator called
"this is how I reckon"

bodies began to tire.

A  lighthouse appeared  igniting hope
as white horses rode the waves
thunderously crashing over the bow
to the sea Gael force was a slave

Darkness began to fall with no release for the five
rounding Ardnamurchan point they sailed
for their souls they now did strive.

Tossed to starboard and then to port
the sailors were worn and battered
surely the end was nigh
they were all so ****** knackered!

With bodies sore and whit's at an end
the sea gave up its fight.

Gael Force and its daring souls
neared the end of their plight.

Tobamory bound and surfing the swell
the crewmates welcomed the night.

The last rope was tied, Gael Force secure
The crewmates went below.

Hugs and hand shakes, cups of tea
and stories told again of how Gael Force and its daring five
braved the storm and

lived to sail again.

The Daring Five were:
Robin Mackenzie  Skipper
Peter                  First mate
Brian Shon       Second Mate
Mike McNaughton Crewmate, Helmsman
Mark""""""""         Crewmate, Helmsman

Skip little skerry-boat
dance with the sea,
kiss the silver fishies
bring them home to me

As I stand on the bow of this,...ship,
the wind cuts my body and the rain stings my face,
but my mind does wander from the drudgery of this dull, grey place,
and I find my sweet bonnie, dressed in ribbons and lace.

I stand in awe of this memory,
this perfect example of natural born grace
as she winks at me slyly with a smile on her face,
and i reach for my bonnie dressed in ribbons and lace.

I become involved in this vision,
as I embrace her body and she kisses my face,
imagination runs wild and my heart starts to race,
and the wind cuts my body and the rain stings my face.

                                                                                   -Still Here

In many poems,
Indeed mine own,
Relationships are defined
As two vessels sailing
In close company,
Plotting the same course
By choice and happiness
Choosing to stay close by,

But in truth a relationship
IS a ship,
A single hull with
Two crew to sail it,
Working together
To maintain the five essentials,
A level hull, with sails and foils well set,
And direction agreed,

Who holds the helm,
The tiller and extension,
That person controls
The direction of travel,
And that has been you,
When you sailed us into danger
My hand was there to guide
Us back from hazard,

Now I am steering
And the course is arrow straight
In lieu of help
Or kind suggestion,
A crew entirely focussed not
Upon the vessel but themself,
And no gentle hand to
Re direct our boat

Nor kind word
Or still small voice of calm
To calm the storm for more
Than a minute,
And that is a shame,
It takes two to tango
Only one to sail a boat,
But it is better by far

With another

I teach others to sail,
Quite literally,
And I am good at that,
Many many people will attest
To my passion and effectiveness,
But sailing is way more
Than just a glorious physicality,
Its a perfect analogy
Of life and love and death,
I also coach and mentor
The lives and loves
The living and doing
Of others,
Also in truth their endings too,
And I offered that best
Of me to you,


But something you seem
To fail to grasp is that whilst
Tacking can be wide,
Deliberate and slow,
Sedate even,
A gybe is the opposite,
Stern to wind,
A boom crashing across
And the cause of many a capsize,
You cannot be gentle gybing
In any kind of proper wind,
Its either one way,
Or it is the other,
It is sudden and immediate and NOW,
So no,
I have not been tacking,
Although at one point maybe
I was going that way,


With an icky feeling
In my heart like
The warning trembling
In a sail's leach,
I am about to gybe,
And it will be sudden,
There will be
A rapid change of direction,
I am a good sailor,
A great seafarer and handler
Of boats
Both real and metaphorical,
So my gybe will be anticlimactic,
Calm even,
But I will be accelerating
Away from you,
Your self centredness,
Your precious secrets,
Your rage,
Months of scorn and derision and accusation,
And while I do not know
My destination,
Indeed in truth I have none,
I do know the seas will quickly
Be much calmer,
The spray far less and that
Without the ice of attitude
And pain,
And at a parting rate of five knots each
In just twenty four hours we will be
Over two hundred miles apart,
I wonder then,
Will you OR I
Find peace?

I lost myself
On an isle of nymphs
And found myself
Only when I rejected,
Every libation offered.
Blinded by decadence,
Focused on filling coffers;
I broke for the ship
Calling to my officers.
Men, your senses are being dulled-
Drunk and high, doing as you're told.
Lucidity take hold! Freedom is close,
We need only embark
Loose the sails & start
The journey out among the stars

Roaming the rolling sapphire,
Thoughts of home & the bereaved.
Under tide they sink.
Spit back into that grand basin,
Give a good greeting to Poseidon,
Lift up your cup & drink;
To the fathoms we eclipsed,
The journey facing.
** & heave,
Waves crash against the hull
Letting on water;
I've never much cared for
Admitting defeat in the presence
Of overwhelming odds,
I'd rather die on my feet
Bravely meeting the Gods

Lost and free our love should be
Strength in 'we' are hopes and dreams
And if winds blew or when they do
On gusts, I’m ****** to write

A line or two in thought of you

And if it were that words fall short
Let them sail toward soulless ports
For ships are that, deprived of crew
And still I write

A line or two in thought of you

Lost adrift in search of land
You are my earth, you are my sand
And if we sink as boats will do
Then first I’ll write

A line or two in thought of you

If swept away, if drowned or swallowed
It’s here I say press down your sorrows
And when they swell as sorrows do
I’ve written words but far too few

A line or two, in thought of you:

Leap with me into the sea
Set sail, set sail...