Survival craft

Oh traveler. Sometimes the sea
is calm, sometimes the swells

are overwhelming. When
were you duped into thinking

the rudder was only a slotted
spoon, a coffee stirrer, a plastic

toy? Whatever you read by the blue
glare of handheld light is not

the real story of any future
that might actually come to pass.

You left that uninhabitable country,
taking what you could. Yes, it is

a common tendency to want more
than need. So many knick-knacks

tied up with twine. So many pots
and plates with crackled glaze.

Lowered into the water, they’ll float
awhile then sink into foamy oblivion.

But touch the wood of this craft
and remember how skillfully built

it was from the start. No guarantees,
but overhead, the constant skies and stars.

 

In response to Via Negativa: Visionary.

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