Sacrifice

We stand shorebound and watch

fishermen hold tight to rocks,

their faces smooth like beach glass

from years of meeting with the sea.

A wave will crash

and more and more –

Applause for the morning’s bounty.

Even icy dawns

when we saw the sunrise

over wild spraying sea –

And biting winds threw birds

towards the end of the earth

and the horizon lay as if it were under the tide

ignoring the seabirds fights and cries,

she still accords with fishermen

trading patience for salt.

Their steady, tired feet and tired eyes

meet the wind and take its bites

and respect where the horizon lies.