I am a salty sailor,
the water is where I roam;
when they tell me it’s time to go,
I must leave my family and my home.
My face is tan and weathered,
yes, there are whiskers on my face;
but the water, I know she cares not,
as she carries me place to place.
The water she always beckons,
as I set sail upon her sea;
her cold, salty, misty water,
constantly splashing over me.
The oceans she’s my mistress,
yet, she can knock me full right down;
then gently she will rock me,
while she turns me all around.
The waves are high and rolling,
she can drop you mighty quick;
doesn’t matter how long you’ve known her,
even the best of them get sick.
And when the enemy approaches,
on alert and quick I be;
for all any sailor wants right then,
is another day at sea.
Long gone am I, for many months,
when war is on, it’s longer;
and it isn’t only me she holds,
my family must be stronger.
See, my family is there waiting,
there’s a light on shore for me;
to ensure I can find my way back,
from my mistress the watery sea.
A beacon in the storm,
a calling from the shore;
the water may be a temptress,
but I love my family more.
Yet, if something should finally happen,
and I dwell forever more at sea;
promise me this one thing,
that you’ll never forget me.
© Leslie C Dobson
Written with my big brother in mind who is retired from the Canadian Navy.