Classic Poem

Had I known that you were going
I could have given you,
At least, good speed;
But you slipped away so suddenly
That I was left standing on the shore
Watching into space,
Not knowing that you would never come back
Till I felt the waters of the incoming tide
Cold about my heart.

I do not ask for you again.
I know the sea you sail does not touch these shores.
I only look for a distant “all hail,” like the white crest of a wave against the horizon,
Or a signal light flashing once, sharp against the sky.

Sail on, my bright sturdy mariner!
Let out a full sheet to your new winds,
Taste the clear spray of your new waters.
You were made for flight and swiftness
And eternal freedom.
Nothing shall weigh you down
Or call you back to the sweet earth,
Or the shape we knew,
Or the place that held you immeasurably dear.
I have cut the anchor chain that bound you to me,
And the great strength of my love,
And the heavy ache of my loneliness,
Which might bear upon you and hold you back,
I have fashioned into a shining silken fabric,
To be the highest and strongest of your new sails.