On my morning walks I have walked by the Captain for three weeks now. He was always pleasant, with a nod. Never speaking...never really giving me a smile. He has a pensive nature, but always busy about his task of fishing, and always peering to the sea. On this particular morning, the Captain seemed different. I greeted him in my usual manner, "A good morning to you Captain." He looked up from his chair and said, "Have you ever seen this many mullet running?" I told him he would have to show me, that I did not notice. He quipped, "hell son, you are missing the meaning of the ocean."
He showed me how to watch the Pelicans and their interest of the sea. How high do the ospreys circle and with what purpose do they seek. Notice the slight silver glimmering of the mullet just beyond the first wave. "Did you just see the Angel fish chasing their pray." He would say. "Watch the tips of my rods, as they bow to the waves?" The step into his space was a magic walk into his beautiful world of the sea.
He pulled out his iPhone and showed me his catch of yesterday. A large Bull Nosed Shark and a Tarpon that weighted as much as he. He talked of their courage to the fight and their desire to never abandon their depths and see the light and his honor for their plight.
He told me great tales of his adventures of years past and just to test his knowledge of ocean lore, I asked, "Did you ever see Annabelle Lee?" Not at all to my surprise, he smiled and said, "I saw her once and she was a sight to see. I was on midnight watch of a following wind. I heard the rustling of my sails and there in the rigging appears Annabelle Lee. She paused with the moon casting the shadow of her beauty, and said "follow me." In a flash she was off into the dark, never looking back but begging with a plea, "follow me."
To sense the beauty of another another human is a special gift if only we would see. It took me three weeks, but what beauty he beholds as his peers to the oceans and always looking for his particular Annabella Lee.
I bid farewell to a new friend and leave him to his task of being alone. What joy he brought to me, there down by the sea. What a delight that I could finally sense his beauty.
His name is Captain Ron...
Doc 9/7/15
