The Sailor’s Promise
We watched them sail to sea a week ago.
Since then our lives are back to normal.
The men of Delos left us empty houses,
us women on the beach in a huddle,
listening hard until the final echo
fights against the rocks and loses.
We watched them sail to sea a month ago
and felt the length of nights increase.
Dreams don’t come easily, but when they do
it’s always the same cold place.
I took my questions up the mountain to Brizo,
who told me to wait until tomorrow.
We watched them sail to sea a year ago
and now I’m the only one left,
the only one who comes back to the beach.
I come with a little boat of gifts
to send to the water beneath the moon’s glow.
The candle drifts slowly out of reach,
hits a wave and goes out. I rinse
my hands and go back to the altar.
They sailed to sea a long time ago.
With no hope of breaking the silence
we ready ourselves for a long winter.
I wake up slowly and look out of the window.
We watched them sail to sea a week ago.
Since then our lives are back to normal.
The men of Delos left us empty houses,
us women on the beach in a huddle,
listening hard until the final echo
fights against the rocks and loses.
We watched them sail to sea a month ago
and felt the length of nights increase.
Dreams don’t come easily, but when they do
it’s always the same cold place.
I took my questions up the mountain to Brizo,
who told me to wait until tomorrow.
We watched them sail to sea a year ago
and now I’m the only one left,
the only one who comes back to the beach.
I come with a little boat of gifts
to send to the water beneath the moon’s glow.
The candle drifts slowly out of reach,
hits a wave and goes out. I rinse
my hands and go back to the altar.
They sailed to sea a long time ago.
With no hope of breaking the silence
we ready ourselves for a long winter.
I wake up slowly and look out of the window.
