Motionless, you stand
gazing through the void
that stretches beyond the horizon
to distant Sandalwood shores
where the lotus-red sun
has quietly settled
carrying your half-thoughts
to their likely deaths.

The Kuroshio’s warm waters
pause their endless journey
caressing your feet
tugging insistently
as they slide back to sea
whispering surf
seducing you with promises
of far-away pleasures.

Is it peril you seek
or salvation
or are these the same
to a weathered soul
bathed in old sorrows
longing to find the newness
that once nourished you with
the reckless rush of the tides.

Lost in your trance
your seafaring mind
wanders map-less
using dream-stars for guidance
desire the lifeblood and
faith the oxygen
giving flight to the away-sickness
that swells in your heart.