John 3:8
The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit
MY MATERNAL GRANDFATHER
WAS A SEA CAPTAIN
SAILING OUT OF ST JOHN’S NEWFOUNDLAND
WHATEVER THE TASK THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE
SAILING TO EUROPE
AMERICA
CANADA
WHEREVER SALTED COD WAS EATEN
TO LABRADOR
FOR THE SEALING TRADE
HE TAUGHT ME LOYALTY
WHEN YOU SIGNED ON TO A CREW
YOU WORKED TO MAKE THAT TRIP SUCCESSFUL
HE EXPORTED WOOD AND MINERALS
BROUGHT BACK NEEDED FOOD PRODUCTS
AND PRODUCTS
NOT GENERALLY AVAILABLE ON THE ISLAND
THE CREW WAS PAID A WORKMEN’S WAGE
THE OFFICER’S BETTER
WE LEAD A COMFORTABLE NEWFOUNDLAND LIFE
WE WERE ENGLISH
THE WORKMEN IRISH
HIS NAME WAS ARCHIBALD
HE PREFERRED ARCH
I DON’T NEED REMINDERS
THE HAIR IS THIN
HE’D SAY
HE TOLD ME MANY STORIES
SOME TRUE
SOME TALL
HE WARNED ME
ABOUT THE WEE PEOPLE
THE GHOSTS THAT WALK AT NIGHT
SUCH STORIES
THAT THE INTELLIGENT PART OF MY BRAIN
LOOKS DOWN WITH SCORN
AND ENVY
IT WAS A MAGICAL WORLD
AND MY MOTHER WAS FEY
I AM AN OLD MAN NOW
I HAVE FORGOTTEN MANY THINGS
BUT ONE I STILL REMEMBER FONDLY
WAS WHEN MY GRANDFATHER
GAVE ME A CONCH SHELL
SAID LISTEN
I DID
AND HEARD THE OCEAN
NOW THE INTELLIGENT PART OF MY BRAIN WILL SAY
THE SHELL ACTS AS A RESONATOR
FOR AMBIENT SOUND
THE PART OF MY BRAIN
THAT BELIEVES
SOME THINGS ARE TRUE
BELIEVED MY GRANDFATHER
WHEN HE SAID
LISTEN CLOSELY
YOU’LL HEAR GOD’S VOICE
IF YOU GO INTO A ROOM DEVOID OF SOUND
THE SHELL DOES NOTHING
TOO OFTEN I HAVE BEEN IN THAT ROOM
GOD WAITING OUTSIDE THE DOOR
FOR ME TO OPEN
TOO OFTEN I SPOKEN INTO THAT SHELL
NOT ALLOWING TIME FOR ANSWERS
TOO OFTEN I HAVE HIDDEN THAT SHELL
NOT WANTING TO DO WHAT IT SAID
BUT THE SHELL KEEPS CALLING ME
WITH THE MYSTICAL SOUND OF THE SEA
WHO LIMITED THE OCEAN TO IT’S BASIN
WHO CREATED THE LEVIATHAN
WHO TELLS THE WIND WHERE TO BLOW
SETS THE MOON AND THE SUN
LIKE A CLOCK
WHO MADE YOU
MY FINEST CREATION
MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN THE SHELL
WHICH SOUNDS CONTINUALLY
COME HOME
COME HOME
TO THE SEA
FRANK A VOLLMER
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