Footpaths
Such a miracle:
the first steps of the cormorant’s flight
taken over water.
That first step heavy,
the second lighter,
and the third scarcely a paint brush
pocking the waves.
The need to take flight
lies deep within me.
“Journeyman,”
the Spanish poet wrote,
“there are no footpaths
across life’s sea,
just a wake to show
the way you came.”
Like a ship at sea
or a seabird over the waves
I leave white water in my wake
to show where I have been.
rogermoorepoet 
So lovely! And what a fortuitous shot of the cormorant. I may use it as a prompt for a sketch – I love drawing sea birds. My other two bird sketches were over water as well.
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That would be great, Meg. It is one of four (the third in the sequence).
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I’m on it! 🙂
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Wonderful lines-there are no foot path across the ocean of life..
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Thanks, Aruna.
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Welcome rjoger.
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Love it, Roger! I’ missed out on my reader these past few months–computer problems, but working with new laptop now. I even had to install a new driver so I could get to all my stuff, but I think it’s gonna work out now. Have you finished the book? I want to order a copy when it is available–if I’m still among the living! Just saw where you visited my blog–thank you. I’m printing the posts out now to save them if my kids ever decide to read them.
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The last book I published was Iberian Interludes. I’ve published nothing in 2017. I have finished one poetry book I was working on and entered it in a competition. I’ll publish it after the results are out. Sorry to hear about the computer problems. I have a love-hate relationships with computers. Best wishes, Roger.
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I love this! I haven’t read Antonio Machado. Your poem makes me think I should.
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For me, he is one of Spain’s greatest poets. His poems seem simple, but he is very difficult to translate because of the extreme precision of his words. He loses a lot in translation as a result. Still worth reading, though. Here’s a good introduction to his poetry. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/browse?volume=101&issue=5&page=5
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Thank you, Roger. I will check that out.
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So beautiful! 🙂
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Thank you for the comment and thank you for visiting. The photo was a ‘lucky shot’ one of four that I had the good luck to be present for. The poem is an echo of one of Antonio Machado’s verses.
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I loved both your photo and your poem. Isn’t any good photo a lucky shot? 😉
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There is always an element of chance: but I am strictly an amateur, with a lot of luck!
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