The Sailor

I met a sailor lost at sea
And mournfully she spoke to me,
Of a life once lit with golden hues—
A life, said she, before this cruise.

She knew great joy of endless bounds,
She questioned why she left those grounds
To sail away through the rocky water,
From a life that she chose to slaughter.

“I did this to me,”
Said the sailor, she.
And clearly the lady felt broken,
Yet I knew this, before she had spoken.

For she cowered in shame
When I first told her my name,
A name that she had not long known.
For she was me, only fully grown.

Then she spoke with a sadness I did not understand,
“Listen to me,” said she, “Never leave your land.”
“To explore is a gift, that much is true.
But abandon? You must never do.”

“Hold this knowledge close to your heart
For I want you to have our fresh start.”
Then she looked at me gently
And spoke to me intently

“I did this to me, I know what went wrong.
I won’t do this to you, you can be strong.”