In honor of my dad’s birthday today (he would have been 98), I’d like to share a rewrite of the poem “Sea Fever” by John Masefield that he wrote to celebrate his own love of canoeing up in the Boundary Waters.
I must go back to the lakes again,
To the lonely lakes and the sky,
And all I ask is a sturdy canoe
And a compass to steer her by,
And the paddle’s kick and the wind’s song
And the white caps shaking,
And a gray mist on a quiet lake
And a bright dawn breaking.
I must go back to the lakes again,
For the call of the loon
Is a wild call and a clear call
That cannot be denied,
And all I ask is a windy day
With the white clouds flying,
And the Norway pines and the portage trails
And the sea gulls crying.
I must go back to the lakes again,
To the voyager’s gypsy life.
To the eagle’s way and the beaver’s way
When the wind’s like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn
From a laughing fellow paddler,
And a quiet sleep and a sweet dream
When the long day is over.
I must go delete this post again…
Lynniebeemuseoday 