Today we were asked to write a sea shanty. I adore a sea shanty. I love to sing along. I tried to pen a sea shanty, but I nothing was forthcoming, so I wrote this instead:
Gifts From the Sea
For three years Billy greeted me, shining
his heart and saying, ‘how are you today?’
Every Thursday morning we met at six twenty.
It was never a struggle to get out of bed.
We tilted our faces to the sky and spoke
of the moon, the stars, sunlight, purple clouds.
Sometimes we said hello to a rainbow.
In the beginning, it was all about his gifts
from the sea. We called him Billy the Fish.
He was our Thursday morning treat.
At our table we gave thanks to Billy.
One morning, I noticed Billy was different.
His light didn’t shine quite so brightly.
Each week, I focused my heart on his,
but he got thinner and thinner.
A winter morning, a silver moon is hiding
behind black branches, an owl is hooting.
‘I’m taking a break,’ Billy says.
He drives away.
I never see him again.
It was April when we read Billy’s tribute,
Beloved Fishmonger from Gorleston …
It was always about Billy.
And the gifts from his heart.
LyndyH 
Oh! That’s bittersweet. 🙂
LikeLike