Abide

Abide

Yes Captain, lost Captain
the quarterdeck is empty
and the unmanned tiller swings
to the tide
amid unseen currents
in a rolling sea
as I on deck
abide
a clear day
and a steady hand
with a weather eye
but my sounding lead
finds shallow sand
and shoal and reef below
as a noisome wind streaks
the waves and
shows the storm
roiling dark and fierce
ahead.