ANCHORED YET ADRIFT, a poem by Dilip Mohapatra at Spillwords.com
Lucas Sankey

ANCHORED YET ADRIFT

ANCHORED YET ADRIFT

written by: Dilip Mohapatra

@dilipmo

 

The signal warns of imminent peril
the waves are wild
the gales are gloomy
few boats have capsized
here and there
few survivors flailing the waters
fervently to stay afloat
some have been locked up
in Davy Jones’ locker
and some hanging on
to the life rafts and flotsam
hoping to be spotted
and rescued
and you drop your hook
and moor your ship
to the weatherbeaten anchor
that sinks its shank
fluke and arm
into the bottom of the sea
to keep you steady
and secure.

There’s no way
that you may weigh your anchor
in near future
and set your course
once again so soon
you got to wait
till the calm returns
and your passage is safe
and the sea gulls
dot a clear cerulean sky
guiding you
till you make the landfall.

As your ship undulates
and swings
in tandem with the swells and surges
and you rock on the recliner
lashed to the quarter deck
ashes of your desires simmering under your skin
embers of your passion turning into stardust
while you frantically follow a frozen sun.
shrouded in flames of ominous
clouds
sometimes playing
dumb charade with a dead moon
your mind goes berserk
unfettered and unmoored
aimlessly drifting
sometimes kissing the void, sometimes following the scars
sometimes savouring
the pulsating absences
and the frigid embraces
sometimes shouting as loud as you can
that no one can hear
sometimes speaking to self
in solipsistic silence
rummaging through
your old chart tracks
to draw up your balance sheets
while waiting
to hoist your hook
and set your sails
to brave the waves
and tame the tides
once again.

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