Poetry Slam - Individual Poem - The Figurehead

I taste the salted sea spray on my lips and

Feel its sting in my ever-vigilant eyes
As once again I oversee the Sun as it
Falls over the edge of the world.
I gaze upon the continuous waves on the horizon that
Dance as my ship passes through them,
Never stopping on its way to new lands.
The sounds of voices puncture through gusts of wind
Which cool my skin that's weathered by its constant touch.
My motionless face is evermore turned towards the unknown, and I
Keep one steady hand over my heart as a steadfast vow of
Protection for those who dare to brave the
Callous, ever-shifting sea.
Whether it be days, months, or years,
This body of mine, bound to this ship,
Will perform its duty, and it shall perform it well.
Until my pine has rotted away or until this ship is sunk,
I will be what I was made to be:
The figurehead positioned on the prow,
The sentinel of this ship, and
The overseer of the Sun as it
Falls over the edge of the
world.