Last Sunrise in the Mediterranean0455 (4:55 AM) Thursday morning May 10th, the water was glassy smooth the only ripples were from the bow slicing smoothly through the water. The sky was still starry as we headed west. Behind us, the light started almost imperceptibly at first then growing faster a deep rich gold along the horizon. The clouds are still dark and inky, above them night is still grasping firmly refusing to fade away to the onslaught of the new day.
As the light grows, there is
Turning back to the sunrise at hand, the sky is growing brighter and that gold is now showing orange with a purple line above with the night still refusing to fade away. The clouds are lighting brighter by the second moving from purple to fire red with orange below as the sky brightens up there are merchant ships carrying cargo to and from all parts of the globe passing along.
Today is the dawning of a new day and the closing of a chapter. As the sun slides up to the horizon, the night finally relinquishes it grasp. Such a poetic moment should not be interrupted by idle conservation, I remain, fellow sailors have come and gone today; just as they have come and gone through out my career.
I cherish this moment like few others in my life. Looking back for the last 214 days of this deployment and the last 17½ years in the navy, I can truly say wow it has been one hell of a ride. Just as the day takes over the night, it is time for the younger sailors to take over for those of us “old salts” this day is different than every one before and the Navy is different today then it was when I came in a scared kid. Somewhere along the way I became a man, today is the day when the kids of today will need to step up and be men too.
I guess it is finally time for me to start looking west towards that sunset and let the younger sailors have the day.
No comments:
Post a Comment