Across the Spanish Sea

I stood in the waves of the salty spanish sea

with three other men

One man said, with a boyish grin

"I will swim across this sea,

and see the holy land.

And you will all wish

that you were wise enough

to swim with me."

So the man swum

to Damascus

to Jerusalem

He witnessed dusty sand

old ruins

past etched into the present

A time when righteousness

was as simple as a sword

Another man said, with a hopeful smile,

"I will swim only half the distance,

and see the beautiful land of Italy.

And you will all wish,

that you were strong enough

to make the journey"

So the man swum

to Rome

to Venice

He saw rolling hills

simple farms

A land both past and present

Where the past is yesterday

and tomorrow is a gift

The last man said, with a weary look,

"I will swim into the ocean,

and see the lovely sea.

And you will wish,

you were patient enough

to enjoy the waves."

So the man swum

into the Mediterranean sea

into the warm inviting water

He saw schools of fish

vast forests of kelp and coral

A place still untouched

By right and wrong

By yesterday and tomorrow

I stood in the waves of the salty spanish sea

and after due time in the surf

I walked back to the beach

and sat upon the shore

I thought of the thousand things

the other men would see

The hundred different places

the other men would visit

In hindsight, the question seems moot

But I lay awake on the beach

Day and night

asking, "Why didn't I swim?"

Now I realize

That it was not my journey

There was no fault in me

No weakness, no idiocy, no impatience.

I stand on a hill overlooking the great canadian north

all alone

I know that this is my journey