Born to be at Sea

Introduction

This is also one of my classics which again relates to my profession of being a sailor. It says of how well versed I am with all the forces and signs of nature that I might as well rely on what nature and the seas tell me as compared to what the instruments and modern day technology has to tell you and predict. Truly there are a lot of signs that you can see and predict and foresee of what you are about to predict. This knowledge is handed over from senior seaman to us as knowledge is best when it is shared.. but truly what nature and heavenly bodies can tell u with accuracy even a gadget will not tell you, and besides what do you rely and if electronics fail, you mean that the ship cannot be navigated to its port of destination, well that’s what being the challenge of a real Sailor is.. Go back to the good old days of navigation like its said, sail the oceans like how our fore fathers did.

BORN TO BE AT SEA

Cut my flesh and you won’t find blood, 

Salt water of the seas and the oceans mud.

Scatter some stars and show me the moon,

And I‘ll tell you where I am really very soon.

Blaze the sun straight in my face,

As my ship builds up its pace,

A sextant in hand my mind and my might,

I’ll give you a position by taking a sight.

Let me feel the breeze all over me,

Like a bird let me soar, I’m born free.

The apparent wind and I’ll check my course,

I’ll tell you the true wind and also its force.

Show me the clouds both high and low,

As I foresee the area where we mustn’t go.

Let me feel the waves, let me see the swell

I’ll tell you where the storm’s brewing or if I’m expecting hell.

Give me a compass in the standard form,

Don’t need no gyro’s which follow the norm.

A lead line would do, to gauge the depth,

Don’t need no transducers which often get swept.

I feel the waters within my soul 

I’ll tell you next when she’ll pitch and roll.

I’ll steer you to your next port of call,

Never mind the storm or the sudden squall.

A land’s edge or a lighthouse standing tall,

And I know soon I’m making landfall

As I enter the port, dolphins would lead the road

Telling me “Hey Sailor, take a pilot on board”.

I’m a simple sailor, my friend, nature tells me much more

Than all the gadgets on bridge you’d ever store,

Don’t need your technology, even until this day,

As I’d rather sail the oceans, my forefather’s way.