Tales from the Sea by Eddie Gubbins

Tales from the Sea 
by Eddie Gubbins

The Sailor’s Mistress 

When the cargo is loaded and all falls quiet 
The sea itself is calling,
Beckoning the sailor out there beyond the dock.
His mistress is waiting
Where the river meets the sea.
He has no real knowledge of what her reaction will be When he sails out to meet her.
She may greet him in a calm, balmy mood,
Like a gentle lover entwining him in her arms,
Leaving him refreshed and happy when they part.
It might be that she is angry
And will meet him with unmatched violence
A violence that beats upon the senses
And leaves the lovers drained and exhausted,
Ready to rush apart,
Ready to find a place of peace and quiet
Not the feeling of complete satisfaction.
Like all lovers, the sea and the sailor
Will never quite know what moods will greet them when they meet
Or how the mood can change very quickly.
This is the excitement of the sea.
Every time a ship leaves port,
The sailor approaches that love
With a mixture of exhilaration and apprehension.
Will they together make beautiful love under a clear blue sky
Or will they fight?
It is not for the sailor to subdue the sea
But to live with her moods
In the hope that he can survive.
The sea is calling, always calling
As a lover calls.  




Tales From The Sea is a semi-autobiographical novel following my time at sea as a ships officer between 1957 and 1969. The reader will meet the characters with whom I sailed, the good, the bad, the comedians and the tough guys. There are the nights ashore and the visits to exotic places to which I voyaged. Sail with me on the ships old and new, tankers, cargo liners and ferries as they ploughed across the oceans carrying the products of the world. Weaving a spell over everything is the sea and its dangers. To most semen, the sea itself calls. No seaman ever knows what mood will greet them when they sail out of the port to greet the sea or how the mood can change very quickly. This is the excitement of sailing the seas and it still excites me when I board a ship and sail off as a passenger to some distant places.

THE OLD MAN BY THE SEA

The sound of the sea on the beach

The  swish, slap, swish of water 

Rushing in and rushing out

Like life, ever moving, never still

Elbow on knee, fist under chin 

A man sits lost in his thoughts

Hearing the sounds of the sea

Breeze stirring his grey hair

Thinking of life and liberty?

Of philosophy and beliefs?

Or daydreaming of times gone by.

Memories of things that got away.

He sits wondering at lost dreams

At meandering paths wandered 

And thinks deep in his soul

Life’s a bugger when we get old.

Available from Amazon and createspace as a paperback, from kindle and smashwords as an ebook to download.