ORPHAN OF STORM

The boy had never been at sea before.
For the first time, he heard the ocean’s heavy roar,
felt the flat horizon forever far and deep
encircling the ocean’s vast upturned cheek.
He longed to join the seagulls in the breeze,
but he was young and trembling still.

Under the pure sky his father held the wheel still,
and stopped the boat to fish. They stood before
the then-calm seascape, catching only the breeze.
The boy thought fish must fear the idling motor’s roar,
and scatter like stars. He wished to follow, to wet his cheek
and fly through water to the deepest of the deep.

Now years ago his grandmother, a disciple of the deep
Astrology, produced his star-charts, and held them still
before his eyes, and read: “Great Aquarius turns his cheek
for you: for you were born of  sea and water, and before
you die you will return, to swim and break and roar
along and as the waves and seagull-spotted breeze.”

He thought of that night, his hair afire in the breeze,
leaning over, staring into the fluid fishless deep.
He dropped the fishing rod into it. His father roared
over the motor: “My rod! Son!” but stood suddenly still.
The overcastting sky had hooked his eye. “But before
this storm hits, let’s head back.” A raindrop hit his cheek.

Soon, fresh and salty water mingled on their cheeks
sea-spray and storm-drops and a whiplash breeze,
churning breakers shoved the ship, and short before
it capsized in the whirlwind drops a face from deep
inside the storm appeared: “My son who lives on dry land still!
My child, come with me!” with a crash and surge it roared.

But trembling in the swirling salt the child roared 
only wails and whimpers to his true father’s cheeks.
The storm melted away; the boat sank below. All was still,
and there he floated on the breathing breeze.
Son of storm, he dwells there now, on the deep
beyond-horizon, where giants lived before.

They say he sails a ship of water in the deepest breeze,
and the sea lies still where he rests his cheek,
and where he treads it roars. And gone the life before.