by Sue Pearce
Lovely Oceana,
Ketch fine and true
Giving freedom,
Joy and release
To a life of
Pressure and demand.
How many seasons
Did she give you?
Rolling on high seas
Or calmly ghosting along
Sharing her love
Of salt spray and sun?
Kindred spirits
Alive with fun
Afrolic with each wave
Passing under her bow.
Together you charted
New seas
Off the California coast
Where Diego once sailed
Returning from Spain
On a mission
To free his people
Of tyranny and strife.
Now see Zorro's flag
Flying proud
At the top of your mast so tall,
Each ripple and curl
Like each wave flowing below
A reminder to all
Of the purpose. the endurance
Of the man
With the mark of the "Z".
Yes, El Zorro still lives
Out on the open sea
In search of new swords to cross,
New visions, new tales
What wonders that unfold,
Wonders of conquest and triumph
If ever they were to be told.
How far did you roam
In those far away days?
Pacific coastline
Left behind
With tack after tack
Taking you farther from home.
Rushing gurgle
Bow slicing into
Wave after glorious wave.
Gentle rises and fall
Fresh touch of
Wind on your cheek.
Did it feel good
To be saying good-bye
To each little worry and care
When ocean breezes replace
The world that you
Left far behind?
Did you feel the same
As with Tornado
When Oceana flew
Over the waves?
I can imagine the sight
Other vessels would see.
Did they wonder
Or smile knowingly?
White sails o'er the blue
Of each following sea
The touch of the wind
In your face.
The tilt of the bow
Steady swoosh, swish, swish
Racing to an
Unending horizon
Where blue meets blue
Of differing hue
Broken only by glimpse
Of another occasional sail.
Then one day a wall
Of water
Mounting too high
Too fast to avoid,
Crashed down on
Poor Oceana,
And her crew unprepared
For the fall.
Laying aside,
Her galley awash,
The pull too strong
As she fights to aright.
Snap!
Dismasted!
Broken in two!
What a sight
And painful to see.
But El Zorro, The Fox
With arch enemy Capitan,
Find a way together
To triumph.
Not with sword,
But with axes
Each attack on the mass--
Tangle of sheet line,
Sails and rigging--
Bring success at last
Hear Zorro's triumphant yell:
"Monastario, our banner is saved
In this our Battle of San Pedro!"
See the "Z" flag clutched
In his hand.
That was many years ago.
Much has changed in our world since then.
Times may never seem the same
For Zorro has both come and gone.
Yet, now as I ponder
It occurs to me
That Oceana sails on still
With "the man in black"
Again at the helm
And his ensign still
Alert on the breeze.
In heavenly skies
On God's great vastness of blue,
The ketch Oceana
Still plays freely
Ahead of the wind.
Would she could take me with her,
For I, too, know that glorious thrill,
And as Oceana soars once more,
Set her free, oh, Spirit of the Sea!
Enjoy your freedom, brave Oceana.
Take our Guy on your voyage of love
Scaling new heights of beauty and courage
In the great endless ocean above.
Original drawing by Kathy Nance
