Asleep on the Ocean

A Poem by AntonioR.

A men struggles to stay awake during a long journey at sea.

    I sit here at the mast, and I am here to keep watch. Over the day, I observe this open sea. Yes, these days are long-
        But I must not fall asleep.

    I wondered where we were heading; where the captain was taking us as his hands operated at the helm of the ship. I could not ask, for I was so high up, watching for land. I thought too deeply about our destination for a small English ship worker. I nodded my head back and imagined where we would end up-
        But I must not fall asleep.

    Assuming that I did, let’s say. Would someone see my eyes close? And if they did, would they wake me? These questions flattered me, so just for amusement, I closed my eyes in intervals of ten seconds-
        But I must not fall asleep.

    Oh, this ocean air. I taste the salt on my tongue; it intrigued me. Twas strange, considering that I am so far away from the water. But the taste enticed me. To feed my desire, I reached down and grabbed a handful of the ocean. The captain did not seem to care about my actions. I could drink as much as I wanted-
        But I must not fall asleep.

    There was nary a sight up here. Wise it is for one to think that my sight of the open stretch of water is enjoyable. They’d be wrong unfortunately. The view, it is similar to staring at the same painting for extended periods of time. My interest could fade-
        But I must not fall asleep.

    I decided to look down into the blue. My eyes caught the ripples from the tide, and the constant reflection of the sun glistening upon the waves. This was beauty, but what held and kept hold of my attention was something more. A large blue whale who, to my enjoyment, kept jumping around our ship. He swam under it, leaped over it, and circled it faster than I could blink. I could watch the beast all day-
        But I must not fall asleep.

    Night fell, as did my shipmates. Strangely. they did not return to their bunkers, no. Instead, they collapsed on the deck and left me to spend the night alone, observing the moon. So I did. I corralled it from the stars and sat it right beside me to keep a close eye on it.

    The moon lay on my lap, and to my surprise, I was able to touch it. It was then that it occurred to me, that I had indeed fallen asleep.