Upon the sultry waves of the sea
The mighty ship is tossed
To and fro, afore and aft
Until the moon crests the watery ridge
Here it remains, tossing, and lost.

The captain decrees to lower the masts
And surrender to the powerful sea
The mighty ship will ride the waves
Akin to a whale in the deep
Like Ishmael defeated by Moby Dick.

Night advances as moonlight wanes
Across the watery veil of the sea
Casting its eerie shadows in the night
Upon the hull and it's crew
Who huddle in moonlight, night and mist.

The mighty sea beats upon the breast
Of the ship cast out on the deep
As in the belly of the whale, she fights
To balance o'er the waves, as men sleep
Surging, tossing, she sails, wild yet free.

Poem Copyright ©2002 Cheryl Gardner

This poem is dedicated to those lost at sea. Reprints possible with written permission from the author, for memorial ceremonies and tributes. Contact themidnightwriter1@gmail.com for permissions.

While visiting Newport beach in Oregon along the coastal Highway 101, a sanctuary for people lost at sea touched my heart so much, I want to write about the experience of visiting the sanctuary. Gazing at the photos and stories of those lost at sea placed there by their families, along with beautiful stands of flowers and watching the people stopping at this sanctuary to pay respects and read the stories, I was so moved in my heart.

Cephas and I took photos of the pictures of the lost along with clips in the newspaper or cards from loved ones. Those photos will be loaded at a later date with this article. The realization came that it would be good to share those stories with the world.

From that visit to Newport beach, I made a decision to research those stories of folks lost at sea all over the world and create a theme blog just about that topic. Even more than a blog, it is my intention to arrange interviews with friends and families to write the stories of their loved ones lost at sea. These articles will be published in magazines and online.

If you would like to share a similar story please contact me at the_midnight_writer@mountainspiritproductions.org to arrange an interview. If you have a story that you want to share as a guest writer, contact me at the same email above.

I look forward to many heart filled memorials of lives given back to the sea. May their stories inspire us and continually remind us of the power within the human heart that binds us all together.

Watch for the new blog "Lost At Sea".



-----------------------------------------------------------------

copyright by The Midnight Writer.

No portion of this blog or the stories therein may be reproduced without the authors specific written permission. This idea is unique and the property of the author.

This post originated at another blog belonging to The Midnight Writercalled Midnight Revelry. It was written in preparation for the creation of this blog "Lost At Sea".