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Crew
Posts: 75
| Subject: Good Friend Died
Some time ago, someone posted a short piece about death. I saved it but CRS has set in & I can't find it. Can anyone help me? It ran something like this:
A ship lies at anchor in a harbor. One night it quietly slips from its mooring and drifts to sea. As it drifts, it gets smaller in our eyes but in reality it still retains its full size and vitality. As she gets farther from us who are on the shore watching her, she finally becomes a dot on the horizon and we say, “There, she is gone.” Yet her size is not diminished except in our own eyes. And while we watched her disappear, those on the other shore see her approach and say, “There, there she comes.” And rejoice at her approach. And that is death.
Thanks, Ron |
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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 892
Location: Palo Pinto County, Texas | Subject: RE: Good Friend Died
Sorry Ron, I don't have the answer, however this link may get you started in the right direction.
I've seen the verse that you've quoted portions of, but don't recall just where it is online.
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 2561
Location: Rapid City, SD | Subject: I think that was me, Ron.
Here it is:
LIFE EVERLASTING
I am standing upon the seashore; a ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength and I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come down to mingle with each other. Then someone at my side says, "There! She's gone."
Gone where? Gone from my sight . . . that is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side and just as able to bear her load of living freight to the place of destination. Her diminished size is in me, not in her; and just at the moment when someone at my side says, "She's gone" . . .there are other eyes watching her coming and other voices ready to take up the glad shout, "There she comes"
This was given to me by the monument company where I purchased my husband's headstone. I have used it often. Although it speaks of 'her' and 'she,' and also because ships and boats are defined as feminine, when the person who dies is male, I substitute 'him' and 'his.'
I know what a mast and hull are, but what's a boat's 'spar.'
Cora
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Plankowner
Posts: 9165
Location: Upper lefthand corner of the map. | Subject: RE: I think that was me, Ron.
A "spar" can be a mast as well as a yardarm or boom or gaff.
From Wikipedia:
In sailing, a spar is also know as a round pole of wood or metal used on a sailing ship. In modern usage it often refers to the mast, but historically the term was used more broadly to refer to the various booms, gaffs, yards, etc., of heavily "sparred" wooden ships.
Spars of all types are used in the rigging of sailing vessels to resist compressive and bending forces, and to provide support for the sails.
Wooden ships from the age of sail often carried many extra spars of all types for repairs while at sea. The spar deck of a frigate was so named because it was used to carry spare spars.
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Crew
Posts: 75
| Subject: RE: I think that was me, Ron.
Thanks, Cora. It was even better than I remembered. Ron |
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Crew
Posts: 65
| Subject: RE: Good Friend Died
http://www.ussvi.org/Final/harbor.htm |
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 6180
Location: Summerville, SC | Subject: RE: Good Friend Died
Condolences, Ron, to you and to the families affected. It is rough to see friends depart before us. We have memories though and they stay with us a long time. |
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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 590
Location: Colton, NY | Subject: RE: Good Friend Died
Ron Wert - 2009-01-26 11:27 PMCan anyone help me?
Author:Henry van Dyke - Wikisource
GoneFrom My Sight - Wikisource
Gonefrom my sight - Google Search
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Good Friend Died
