i fear the sound of splintering wood
barely audible beneath the tempest’s roar
i am the lighthouse keeper
my mission is to save
i stoke a flame behind the lens
when wind and spray and torrents extinguish visibility
my slow rotating beam penetrates the foggy depths of darkness
warning of obstacles stay away stay away
protecting sailors from rocky liquid death
the ship’s wheel spinning in terror
oh let it not be too late
let not the salty water sear the lungs
wasted lives and precious treasures scattered on the ocean floor
 
better when the sea is calm and my light caresses the water’s surface
the ship’s silent passage beneath moonlight and starlight and my light

©ARHuelsenbeck