Only Remember

“I must go down to the seas again...
to the vagrant gypsy life,
to the gull's way and the whale's way,
where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn
from a laughing fellow rover,
a sweet dream and a quiet sleep
when the long trick's over.”
'Sea Fever' - John Masefield

I ask for no memorial
no headstone, tomb, or tree
for all are finite, in their time,
no – these are not for me.
So scatter far my last remains,
my soul shall long have flown
to where I left my heart that day
so many years ago.

Even though my one true love
just didn’t have the strength
to watch me fading hour on hour
I’d have chosen him again.
So cast my ashes to the wind,
let them drift upon the waves
and I, at last, shall be at peace
as I wend my carefree way.

And as you stand and reminisce
by the plaque on Southwold Pier
even though my name is there
know I did not tarry here...
For I shall ever be a part
of this wondrous, mighty sea,
the sparkle on the water...
the spray that kissed your cheek.