A small boat floats on an open sea

It bobs up and down, left and right

To and fro

Ocean waves crash upon its bow

Hugging the deck with the help of brisk wind

That boat could be a lot of things,

Could be there for a lot of reasons

Work, bringing in the daily catch

Pleasure, enjoying the freshness of salted air

Lost, not knowing what to seek

Perhaps it simply feels a need to be floating

In the endless blue

That’s what boats do

Children feel that way too

They scurry about school halls

In search of that perfect friend

That Best Friend Forever

The perfect vessel for their affection

When I was young, I swayed with another boat

A perfect vessel

A best friend

We did everything together

We flowed with the tide, played in the reef

She was always so wonderful to me

She liked me for me

My quiet nature

My unknowing love for school

My silly playfulness 

Tides changed 

Waves crashed down in a rush of fury, and she left

My companion at sea,

Gone in the blink of an eye

Before one could murmur a “why…?”

I didn’t realize my mistake until she said her farewell

She did like me for me

My nervousness

My lack of maturity

My oddities

But not because she saw the connection I saw

No, it was because that made her better

Made her smarter

Made her friendlier

Made her older

Made her queen and me jester

I was just a step to her

A roadblock that held her back from her throne

Alongside the elites of the elementary class

A step to a place better than us

Better than me

Left in the wake of toxic gas,

My little boat swayed on unbalanced waves

The deep blue beckoning

Barnacles latching on

Sucking the soul from my hull

But out at sea, you don’t get to anchor

You keep going because if you stop

Salt will sink into your deck

Your rutter will rust and wear

Your thoughts will stew in the memories

Of what once was

You’ll start thinking thoughts like

It was my fault

I’ve showed too much of my self

I’ve scared them off

I don’t deserve to have any friends

They never did like me

It’d be better to just live life

Alone

Tides change

Pushing you with the crests of each wave

Pushing you to go on

Waves teach you to keep moving

As much as they teach you about the depths

They show you the beauty of the highs

These waves that we sometimes hate

We sometimes love

They are the cause of our immeasurable loss

And the reason we crave the unknown

Keeping us from the throes of bubbling crests

Because who knows

Over that ultramarine, blue horizon line

Warm sunshine dripping over its edge

You might find that perfect person

After all…

I’m watching the edge of those waters 

Because despite all those thoughts

I still want someone for me

Lots of time has passed since those ships sailed away

Far away into the deep vermillion of sunrise

The waves they left behind carved deep into my bow

Dents that won’t ever be fixed

But that builds character in my small ship

Reminds me of all I’ve learned

Learning to fish and make the most of my time

Learning the passionate love of just being

Learning my need for companionship

Learning that I’m just a boat

Learning tides change 

Times change