​You tried too hard
(I loved that about you)
uncomfortable in creaseless new leather
, self-conscious
a wooden leg wishing to belong
longing for company on crowded decks
seen unseen
 
Your heart was a treasure chest
waiting to be opened
, shared
but it remained buried
beneath the sounds of scurvy-sores
the musket-fire muffled in a tub of tears
 
     You loved everyone
     , more than you did yourself
 
You relished the idea of life
more than the living of it
, so I have placed this message in a bottle
and cast it upon the tide to find you
 
As two whales mating
(I do not know the mechanics of such things)
I wanted you to know the feel
of weight and water and whalesong
, of hope harpooned
in the sea spray of a mighty and joyous love
 
     This is the message I send myself
     , from myself
     my echo-Being
     loving all past versions
     of me