A Sea Storm

I watched an old man take an afternoon nap,

My boat quietly ran; he rolled up his blankets

Huge, grey, protecting him from the sky.

He could not sleep, restlessly he turned

And I saw him weep, raining on the horizon

Caught in his clutch like a comforting pillow.

He slept and I saw his electric nightmares.

They thundered and tore at his blanket and body,

And as they cackled I shivered with fear.

The howling began as he wailed for his fears,

He turned on his fan, which blustered around him.

Its force was so great that I nearly capsized.

And slowly he woke as the nightmares did pass,

I uttered a croak and tried to loosen his grip,

Yet still he clutched like a dog to the bone.

His blankets unrolled as he gave a small sigh,

The sky became gold with the calling of dusk.

Free from his grip, my ship sailed away.