The blue eyed captain

Like a great oak tree, you stood tall, in your shadow there was calm

strong, silent, stoic

in your hand you walked me through monster filled forests

Keeping me from the eyes the peered through the dark

You listened to me babble on like a stream

You made me repeat myself till I was blue in the face

read words I didn't know

in languages I didn't understand

backwards from a tiny brown notebook

strong, silent, stoic

Your tales of the world captivated me

of stories of old, whales and skies, harpoons and creatures in lands far away

inconceivable places that made me yearn for adventure

A wildling at heart yet you never looked down upon me

You never shunned or shamed or spoke ill of me

Not of you, but shaped by you

knowing tight lipped proud eyes tell more than that of spoken word

Strong silent stoic

In your arms you held my mother

beautiful and fragile

A little girl who cared too much for the world

yet in your arms she could withstand hurricanes

She could conquer the universe and move the stars in the skies

A rock, a lighthouse

unflinching in a storm

against the world you never moved yet were always on the tide

Strong, silent, stoic

The waves of the world drew in and out

your broad branches became less strong

yet your spirit was unbreakable

against the world

against health

against age

The world threw rocks at you almost every passing tide

but you never faultered

and the weight of the moon could be upon you but you would never know

Strong, silent, stoic

One day you will remain only a memory to me

but your soul soars across the sea

beckoning for the next ship to take you to distant lands

For your soul cannot be broken

though your vessal be a ship on the rocks

With the tide you come and go but always you will remain

the oak tree in my memory

Strong, silent, stoic