Poems by Brian A. Bendall

I planned to leave, one fateful day,
Upon a burly craft.
I told my friends, "I'll sail the seas!"
But all of them just laughed!

I'll show them what a sailor is,
I had a sturdy boat!
So, I packed a bag with lots of socks,
My cap and warmest coat.

Fresh underwear and extra jeans,
Some shirts and turtleneck.
I had, for sure, a first-aid kit
If injured on my trek.

A toothbrush, soap and bushy towel,
Some dental floss and comb.
A sextant and a navy map
So I could get back home!

A lantern, so to see at night,
And oars to paddle 'round,
Because my sails would fail to bloom
When winds had settled down.

A box load of my favorite books
To read when nights are long.
A guitar I'd always kept in tune
That I might sing a song.

At bow and stern a cannon sat
To fight the pirates off,
And just in case, I made some space
For cough-drops for my cough.

An anchor and a fishing rod,
Harpoons and safety pins.
Bubble gum and rifles, too,
In case a war begins.

I read about the dangers there,
Sharks could be unpleasant!
With that in mind, I brought along
A vat of shark repellant!

Ropes and cans of chicken soup,
Some candies and some mints.
Some rubber boots and tweezers, too,
To pick out navel lints.

Toilet paper soft and white,
All double rolls aplenty.
Leather gloves and cannon balls,
Of those, I counted twenty.

A garbage can and trusty mop
To keep the deck all spotless.
I purchased twenty pounds of salt,
But perhaps I should have bought less.

My laptop and my TV set,
A heavy length of chain.
A manual on how to swim,
And a tarp if it should rain.

Lots of fruit and pork and beans,
My blankets and my bunk.
But, just as I stepped 'board the boat...
...The ding dang dinghy sunk!

So, lesson learned, I say to you,
If you decide to roam,
Take, indeed, just what you need
...And leave the rest at home!

My Father, he was never one
To show his deepest feelings.
He never cared too much for hugs,
Either giving or receiving.

I guess that's just the way he was,
To hang on to his manhood.
Emotions should be never shown,
I think, he thought no man should.

There was a summer at our lake
Where we would spend vacations.
Our family went there every year
To this beautiful location.

One day my Dad and I set out
To get some food supplies.
We could only go by boat,
But there were cloudy skies.

Half way there, some thunder rolled
And soon it started raining.
No matter what our speed was at,
The storm was quickly gaining.

My cousin's cottage was in sight,
We made a beeline there.
Until the storm had gone away,
That cottage we would share.

The door not locked, no one was home,
So this would be our refuge.
It saved us from the pouring rain
And all that storming deluge.

We sat inside, but not a word
Was said between us two.
We listened to the rain come down,
While the thunder and lightning grew.

Then, deep in thought, my Dad stood up
And started looking 'round.
He saw a box and opened it,
A harmonica he'd found.

He sat back down, slapped it hard,
Then started into play.
There's only one piece he would do,
It's still in my heart this day.

"Maria Elena" was the song
And I just quietly listened.
I'd never heard him play like this,
The notes that came just glistened.

And as he played, his eyes were closed,
His head would weave in rhythm.
He played the song with all his heart
And all the passion in him.

I felt Dad reaching out to me
To show me his emotions.
I began to feel a bit choked up
From this musical devotion.

The storm had all but disappeared,
Though it was still there raging.
The only thing that I could hear,
Was Dad and I engaging.

When he stopped, he looked at me
And saw my eyes were welling.
I couldn't help but feel the love,
Through music, he was telling.

He smiled a bit then bowed his head.
There was nothing more to say.
The storm was gone, we bailed the boat
And continued on our way.

I'd never seen my Dad like that,
Before or even after.
We did have some good times, of course,
With smiles and often, laughter.

But something happened on that day
That's in my heart forever.
Somehow we bonded through that storm,
His "hug" will leave me never.