Seas the Day

2013 7th-8th Grade Poetry Winner

The breeze blows
Hard against my face
 
My heart crashes against my chest
As the small boat
Shifts within the seas
 
It tips precariously,
Pendulous boom veering
Starboard to port
 
The sailboat heels sharply,
Starboard rising to the sky
Like an unbalanced beam
 
A quick, well timed shift
I am leaning out into the sea
Balancing my strength
Against the wind
 
The mainsheet is gripped within my glove
My arm is taut
On a close haul, the wind is my boat
As I round the buoy
 
I am on the final reach as the wind
Drops to a dappling breeze
I glide across
The water peacefully
 
Sailing back to the harbor
I wish this day would never end
Perfect days are rare.