Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Chapter Two: Rough Weather Right Away
He became acutely aware
of his inability to swim
when he remembered
he wasn’t much of a sailor.
Didn’t know where he was headed
except away,
a way anywhere from here.
Clouds. Wind. Dark. Storm.
Mother Nature birthed a swimmer,
like a dolphin in dog form
because when the boom hit him in his butt –
BONK! –
he splashed face first
and tried not to swallow a fish
he didn’t even know
and leaped back in the boat
on the same arc he’d been punched out.
The young dog shook and shook,
sprayed seaweed across the deck.
Water nothing to be afraid of,
more important to get control
of the ride you’re on.
Just because you don’t know
where you are going
or how to get there
doesn’t mean you can’t keep a firm grip
on yourself.