Three forty five am, rain has just ceased
unlike the rain inside me at leaving here.
Stars come out, promising a fine day later.
People to arrive from 10 am, with Mike
and beautiful dog.
The rest arrive from 2 pm,
ready for a cruise.
‘Secret’ is clean and gleaming,
ready to delight them all.
Always she sits and waits for her engines
to engage, ready for action she
waits. Lines removed, gently she
moves forward, out of the slip,
turns gently out of the Marina
into the 6 knot per hour channels.
Drivers change. She now responds
to me, a novice navigator steering
her course, watching all directions
for other boats, remembering the
code of red and green, when to give
way, keeping downwind of sail boats
and smaller craft. Mike explains much,
Dave watches on as he trusts me with
his home, in rough winds.
On this penultimate day, ‘Secret’ gives
me freedom with responsibility.
I have many lives on board.
Baltimore 2009
Jean A Isherwood
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