There's an old man that I know
Who can sit for hours at a go
Building castles in the sand,
Facing always the long, brown land,
Ignoring the vast and true sea
That ever so enraptures me.
“It seems to me the waves sing free
Of sailors and dreamers out at sea.”
But he says, “Better to be wary
Out there's something scary
Far beyond your simple sight,
Far on the blue's other side.”
I walked down and greeted the ocean
With a lustful hopeful notion
Of losing myself in its embrace
And having its foamy lips kiss my face.
He said fearing that I should regret,
"But for the water, sand should never forget".
We walked along the encroaching line
His footsteps dry, and water in mine.
He spoke of the fresh shade of old trees
And the busy bustle of worker bees,
The water licking my toes meanwhile
And salty sand lining a skeptic's smile.
“Boy, I was just like you before,
Thirsty for all the world and more.
But time has this way of turning you
Back to the things that you looked through
Out at what you didn't yet know,
Back to the old your soul will go.
"I swam out one day in the early morning,
Before the land roused had finished yawning.
The sea did hold me, fairly shallow queer,
But she had several other lovers near,
And one did appear and swallowed me whole,
Spat me out deeper still as per his role!
"Decades long torment was my lot,
And frightening battles have I fought--
Fighting for breath, sight and the sun
The sea did laugh thinking she had won
But sweet, steady land forgiving all
Bought me back, the prodigal."
Then strangest thing would happen next
With alien strength and as if vexed
He grabbed my body and flung me steep
Into dark water that had gotten deep.
In the growing distance I spotted him
Laughing as if cursing grim,
"Swim, boy. Swim!"
That's the old man who's back I know
Sitting still for hours at a go
Fixing castles in the sand
While facing always the long, brown land
Ignoring the vast and true sea
That for so long has captured me.
