Seascape

Sit for a moment in silence in my chair
and watch the way the sun makes a firey red path
away from the horizon,
accurate as any explorer with a well worn sextant
on the sea where the shore is in sight.

Come to me and I will gladly give you lodging, a berth,
in the oakum mess of my hair
and in the arms that ache for the warmth
of skin.  This journey is so long
and the sea so wide.

My ship is so small.

It means something to breathe quietly
from the chair of a woman
who sails into new waters
looking for calm harbors -

watching the horizon
for home.

Caution is a marking on the bow of a stranger,
a signal flag
that cannot be overlooked.