A luminous cutting edge pierces midnight,
so still, yet, silently revolving on a
lonesome tower, as if in its own orbit;
guiding ships, passing in the night.
A smothering haze does conceal
treacherous conditions, obscured.
Ahoy! That heavenly beacon, aglow;
calling feverishly to all on the high seas.
Shining so very bright, slicing through
blackest of nights, revealing to seafaring mariners:
Beware the coming shoal; where raging surges
pound salty shores; reaching through scented
mists for just one glimpse of He who bore its sea.
Succumbing to incensed currents off our bow,
drowning in this wake of a deep blue chasm,
unable to see just two inches in front of me;
I pray to God to continue to light my way.
And, He does, extending His hand to
yon guiding beacon, ablaze this night,
so a faithful ship may journey onward;
e'er faithful, ne'er to run aground.
Author notes
This is one of the very first poems I wrote when I first started to write poetry. I really like it, but I've wanted to go back, and make some improvements here and there on it. Initially, I wrote it for my wife, Simona Marie, since she really loves lighthouses. She has quite a few lighthouse collectibles. However, the root of this poem is intended to be a spiritual metaphor for my own unwavering faith in God. I have always believed in God, but I haven't always been faithful to God. As someone quite familiar with the sea, I know that ships do occasionally run aground; it's inevitable really. When this happens, another ship graciously tows the wounded ship back to its homeport. When we find ourselves running aground, it's important to remember that faith can safely bring us Home. This morning, a powerful sermon from a bishop in Kenya reminded me of that.
Don Rogers Winslow
A contest entry
- be your self by Ignis Corpus.
425 points, ended June 26, 2007, 26 entries
Honorable mention
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Do you know the muffin man??? by Dreams27.
450 points, ended July 1, 2007, 32 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - From Trash to Treasure by star wars fanatic.
1500 points, ended February 22, 2008, 18 entries
Honorable mention
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - MY SECOND CONTEST - 3 OPTIONS - PW ALLOWED by X iMPERFECTiON x.
425 points, ended October 24, 2007, 13 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - PREWRITE MADNESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! by Kathraina.
650 points, ended August 15, 458 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
I've spent a lot of time out to sea, and I really love it. Does this make you feel like you are out to sea in pitch black?
Comments
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Love this!
Wonderfully vivid.
Your choice of words brings this to life & it really depicts the life of a believer on the seas of life with Him as our Beacon! All the best to you with this entry. 
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Wow, this piece is absolutely stunning!
I love the message and raw emotion here. Vivid imagery and great fluidity throughout.
Bravo!
♥ Kate -
No one writes metaphorical mariner pieces like you. This is just a marvelous piece of poetry, and it was a pure joy to read. Bravo!!!
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Wow! It's been a while since I've read this one.
Thank you, David. I love the sea, and I really miss seeing it every day like I did in the U.S. Navy. Fortunately, I'm only a couple of miles away from the Pacific.
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oohh I do like that picture
this is truly beautiful to be a poem to your wife as well as your faith to god!! I love this beautiful write...speechless actually because I do not know what to say apart from it's stunning.
I think you should leave it how it is now icase you ruin it. Great flow and imagery!!
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Thank you so much.
I've revised this some recently since I first wrote it a couple years ago. I think I'll send it to my pastor. His wife has lighthouses all over our church, so part of the inspiration came from that, along with the few dozen lighthouses my wife, Simona Marie, has.
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Wow this is really awesome if it was one of your first writes. I love lighthouse have always liked them especially the haunted one in St. Augustine florida
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Thank you so much, Cara.
I've worked on this one so much. My wife just loves lighthouses. We've got them everywhere at home. I went to a lighthouse in South Carolina once. I would love to visit a haunted one, like the one in Florida. That would be really cool, actually.
Don
I've gotta run. I have a project to drop off for school, and I'm finished until the middle of January. Yes!!!! Don
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It's hard to believe this is one of the first poems you ever wrote, because this is a really fabulous metaphorical piece. No-one can write about mariner themes like you, as you seem to have a very intimate and sympathetic connection to the sea. Your imagery in this poem is really wonderful.
David
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Thank you so much.
What a way to start my day! This was the very first sea poem I wrote. At first, it was meant to be strictly about a seafaring mariner's arduous journey through the high seas, and it evolved into a spiritual metaphor. When I was in the U.S. Navy, I was a boatswainsmate. Two of the main jobs that boatswainsmates do at sea is to stand lookout and man the helm. I have so many personal memories of steering our guided missile destroyer through the tumultuous seas of the North Atlantic. Sometimes, the swells were as high as 18 feet, and they would crash like thunder into the steel leviathan I called "home."
The slower the ship was moving, the worse we got pounded. Our ship was only 500 feet long, so it got tossed around the North Atlantic like a toy boat. Often, we would take 45 degree rolls all night long. Our bunks were even equipped with seat belts. It's not fun being tossed out of your top bunk in the middle of the night. After a while, it used to just put me to sleep. It's weird trying to walk through the passageways in the skin of the ship during rough weather. It's a whole new definition to sea sickness when a sailor first goes out to sea. Occasionally, I got nailed by salt water spray even way up in the bridge, where I was at the helm. On lookouts, I was exposed to the rampaging elements, and I got salty showers that were unbelievably cold and bitter. That would help to keep me awake, though.
I truly gained a respect for the sea after witnessing up close just how unruly she can be. There are times when the sea is just as tranquil as can be, but then there are times when it just doesn't like you very much, and bucks you like a wild mustang, with no desire to be broken. Now, that I am not in the Navy anymore, I miss it so much. It was four of the greatest years of my life. I was only 18 when I joined the Navy, and 22 when I got out. The experience will stay with me forever.
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very profound and discriptive! nice job & good luck! =]
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This is beautifully done. For this contest, I would rather have you submit something worse. I just feel like this is excellently written, and doesn't need much improvement. Thanks for entering, though, and I help you can find something else to take this one's spot! lol
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That's so nice of you to say.
Thank you for such kind comments on my poem. There's definitely a "worse" one that I want to revise about drunk driving, but I'm just too swamped with college to work on at the moment. Knight70
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This is a strong write for a first poem. I see the emphasis on vivid images and the interplay of faith and metaphors for life. Beacons of light are long associated with wisdom and guidance by many faiths-this just adds to the appeal here. Thanks for sharing this wonderful write. Blue
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Thank you!
I sincerely appreciate this. My pastor's wife has one room in our church decorated in lighthouses, so I thought this would be a nice addition for it, as well as for my wife, Simona.
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Oooh
This is just lovely. Your wife must have cried when she read it. How utterly beautiful. ~Pamela
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Thank you!
This is still one of my favorites. Without lighthouses to light their way, seafaring mariners would run aground in shallow waters all over the place. There's something spooky about lighthouses when you go up inside them, but that just adds to their appeal, I think. I've read many books on shipwrecks, so there's plenty of inspiration.
I've read several books on the Titanic sinking. I would love to write a poem about shipwrecks. I'm always reading about them. When I look at photographs of sunken ships, I don't see the them as rusted ruins; I see them as proud ships and their crew, cram full of hidden mysteries. There's a story to tell in every one. One of these days, I'd really like to get a scuba license so I could see one up close and personal. Ok, I've written another book today.
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This is a great poem, Don. I love the last lines pray to God to continue to light my way. And He does, extending His hand to a guiding beacon, ablaze so, my faithful ship may journey onward; And not run aground.
I like how you mentioned God in this poem. It is so appropriate. Jeff
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Thank you, Jeff.
This was one of the very first poems I wrote when I started to write poetry three months ago. I got an honorable mention for that one today. That felt good. I took a creative writing class seven years ago, but I stopped writing after the quarter was over. At the time, it didn't interest me, but I love reading and writing poetry now. It's odd how just a few years can make a difference.
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Excellent Imagery!!
I love this write!! It has the qualities of a Gold!! Very excellent imagery and well chosen words to draw in your reader to a personal experience with the extreme value of a lighthouse. Allows us to stand on deck of a would be tragety in the blackness of night dying alone in a could be prevented rage. Very well done!! Great job, Don
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Thank you so much, Don.
Guiding Beacon was my first lighthouse poem. Having spent four years at sea, while I was in the Navy, I find myself very inspired by the ocean waves. I really like how this turned out. My wife collects lighthouses, so I thought that she could really enjoy this one.
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awwww, very sweet! a beautiful poem for your wife!!
Thank you for entering...good luck!!
Take care, sam (Dreams27) xxx -
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You're welcome, Sam.
I am so glad that you enjoyed it. I really enjoyed writing it. I will be reading through some of your poetry later on tonight.
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awww thats so sweet, im glad you did dedicate this to her, i hope she likes it cause i loved reading it, good job and good luck in my contest
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Thank you so much.
I really enjoyed writing this piece, especially since it was my first lighthouse poem. I hope to feel inspired to write another lighthouse poem soon.
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You had my attention from the start, I love the ocean and lighthouses(who doesn't?, lol)
Beautiful metaphor. Very well done. I'm sure you lovely wife was thrilled.
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I'm glad that you enjoyed it, Luna.
Thank you, Luna. That kind compliment means so much.
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