X at Sea

X woke up on a ship.
Seems to be the only one
who doesn't know what for. Or where.
But late at night X lies awake.
Feels the steady pulse propelling
X the Silly, X the Sane,
X the Craven, X the Brave,
and all the other X's
              through the dark.

The others say, Relax. Enjoy.
They skim the surface: never ask
what depths there are to plumb,
cannot fathom where the little
bubble rides from—
or why it tries so hard to break
the holy law of gravity,
climbing blindly upward
              toward the light.

Copyright © 2006 Tom Hansen All rights reserved
from Falling to Earth
BOA Editions, LTD.
Reprinted by Verse Daily® with permission