+ guest blog poem by Pat +

On The Sea by Patrick Zhou

“This fog, gloom, and myst’ry disheartens us so,

‘Tis Purgatory!” they shout, scream and plea,

“Why did you take us from home, food and comfort,

Away from the known and into the sea?”

I take heed their grumblings, for I’ve grumbled too,

But playing the wiser, I give my part,

For isn’t this a captain, to lead these men,

To reveal no weakness and fear no dark?”

“Aren’t you men all sailors?” I loudly retort,

“What ports have we left and arrived unstormed?

No journey worth making or joy worth taking,

Will ever be found with hearts ne’er forlorn.

“Remember that faith before we departed?

We believed that boon would conquer the bane.

Remember our hope and our steely resolve,

That pleasure divine would forgive the pain.

“For we’ve set high sails toward the heavenly shores,

We suffered the risk of wind, wave and rain,

For through fire men shine as old gold is refined,

To forge a mettle that waxes not wanes.

“So onward we press, my bold courageous men,

To meet the One who has captured our souls;

To be patient through shadow, valiant through storms,

For journeymen to finally feel whole.”

“Tis enough inspiration for one more day,

Back to their duties they grumble no more,

They laugh and they smile, with their spirits renewed,

While their captain still grumbles at his core.

I stand at the bow and look into the fog,

But see nothing ahead and none behind,

Clutching the railing, my cold hand feels a drop,

But not of rain nor wave—this drop was mine.

It isn’t doubt of the Sun haunting my soul,

Her truth and beauty I still long to see,

But in this long pursuit, I’ve begun to think,

That her truth and beauty shine not for me.

For each day She sees me and passes me still,

She leads forward but to nowhere for She—

She’ll always be far over that horizon…

I know not what to make of this life on the sea.

Snaps for Pat (BC, senior in 'a&s', theology, master of the quill)!

In a Classicist words:

+ I wrote it last summer, 2008and I personally feel that most poetry these days(if we're to use my dear friends)lean toward Lucian Gregory, rather than Gabriel Symethat is, the trend of poetry today is more free and chaoticthan strict structure rhyme and meter.

+ My favorite poets are old and english

like Pope, Blake and Shakespeare

so I'm a fan of the heroic couplet and meter.
-Pat Zhou (John Keats?)

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