Swish, swish, "What goes on out there?"
Some yelling, some tears, much heartache.
"Ah, a boy! How cute. He looks just like me."
More yelling, more tears, lots of heartache.
Disappointment. Embarrassment. Shame.
The boy goes out to sail.
The winds blow east, they blow west.
The clouds thicken, then pour rain.
He can barely stand.
The forces knock him down
and he falls in the water.
Drenched, he climbs back onboard
naked, shivering, crying.
Over and over.
Disappointment. Embarrassment. Shame.
Family.
The boy grows into a man.
He can withstand the wind.
The rain bounces off his skin.
He jumps into the water
and climbs back onto the boat.
He dries himself off slowly
and looks up at the sun,
eyes closed, heart open.
Swish, swish, "What goes on out there?"
Some lullabies, some smiles, some joy.
"Ah, a boy! How cute! He looks just like me."
More lullabies, more smiles, lots of joy.
Satisfaction. Confidence. Pride.
The man goes out to sail.
He steers his boat calmly, deftly.
Protected from a passing shower,
he resumes enjoying his time at sea.
The sunset is beautiful
and he admires the view of it.
Back ashore, he looks forward
to a restful, fulfilling evening.
Over and over.
Satisfaction. Confidence. Pride.
Family.
(Postscript:)
Mix some light tones into a dark color
and a medium shade appears.
Add brighter tones into a medium color
and a lighter hue appears.
Just like the family some people
are born into.
Just like the family some people
create for their loved ones.
Copyright Charles Bruns, 2018
