The Compass

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The Compass

In his hand a sailor's compass
The needle pointed north
He never knew or cared to know
How it could read the earth
He never learned to write his name
Or read the alphabet
He knew the pleasures of the sea
And tonight he's sailing yet
For a land the soul discovers
Without a map or star
None but the fiercest lovers
Ever sail that far

He's guided by the compass
And a knowledge of the tides
He's been out in the Gulf Stream
Where the world divides
He knows the earth is turning
That greater storms will come
Waves will beat upon his boat
Like fists upon a drum
It may be the North Atlantic
It may be a smoking bay
None but the fiercest lovers
Ever travel up that way

In old age he still believes
In mystery and friend
And trusts his compass points toward
A harbor at the end
But the loneliness can eat you
If you do not sleep
He closes up his eyes and sails
His trust upon the deep
Birds fly alongside his boat
A few come to his hand
None but the fiercest lovers know
The route to the new land

He holds that ancient compass
It tells him where he is
Passed down through generations
Now, at last, it's his
To use to guide his journey
Whether lost or found
At some point the sea becomes
More solid than the ground
The dolphins play beside him now
Leaping from the foam
None but the fiercest lovers know
Their kiss itself is home

DL