In the hush of stillness, a storm begins within,
Calm only on the surface,
A fragile mirror stretched thin across the tide.
The flagship carries its burden—
Responsibility, expectation,
Weight too heavy to set down—
From port to port, from station to station.
New voices join the ranks, eager, uncertain.
Offered counsel, steady hands,
Unfurling maps, pointing to compass north,
Hoping the lessons of weathered years
Might spare them some unseen reefs.
But time carves deep lines into the hull.
Silent tears soak into the timbers,
And the pull of unseen currents
Never loosens its hold.
And one day—when, no one can say—
The soul burns through the vessel,
The body hollowed, lanterns dimmed,
Light flickers, falters,
And quietly disappears into the dark.
