A Ship to Acceptance

Arrival at the land of Acceptance – and therefore the achievement of lasting peace – necessitates a most crucial journey on the good ship, “Surrender”.

The destinies that choose us propel us forward on journeys of self-discovery. Whether we like these destinies or not is beside the point; they are ‘us’ for this time, and we need to make the most of them. Academically, it’s that simple.

The following poem charts a journey—the setting is a voyage.

From that tremulous quay we push off, sailing into the hopeful unknown to the land of Acceptance, and it’s the good ship “Surrender” taking us all the way there; iteratively so in real life terms, it seems.

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Struggle and unease – a fire on the quay,

Ballast aboard awaits our throw,

Lines at the ready – sail to lee,

Away from that quay do our lives now go.

Journey’s begun bright-eyed and hopeful,

Trepidation also considering our way,

Visions adorned of “what might?” and “so delightful”,

Imaginings of a life that could hold sway.

Searchingly this ship sails for “Acceptance”,

Swells and turmoil it meets on the way,

Buffeting aside it’s destined in beneficence,

Besides the oil and salty sea spray.

Open seas now but beckons does land,

Held out despite it strange notions of trust,

Hope contains us - the warm beach sand,

Arrival we dream keeps us this must.

Approaching the port destined to moor,

Cautioned to abide – channel and marker,

The journey now seems finished for sure,

Gently steaming to the place we can park her.

The voyage we’ve taken has seen us through,

Disembarked are we to this cherished place,

“Acceptance” it is but not without “Surrender”,

This good ship got us there in good-measured pace.

Looking behind at what’s now been,

Distance covered, logged and mastered,

Reflect us we do and on it we lean,

Acceptance becomes us and on it we’ve lasted.

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The peace of acceptance simply lasts. Once we’ve practiced it enough the habit of acceptance is so faithfully true, never going A.W.O.L.

Life, a new vibrant life, begins from this destination.

© 2010 S. J. Wickham.