The Last Voyage of a Sailor

By Alexandra Dougherty

Upon the weathered deck, I stand, 

An old man, too frail for the sea’s embrace,

Yet drawn to her waves one final time,

Te call of an old friend that starts my weary soul.

The ship creaks like ancient bones,

Each scar is testament to battles fought.

tattered an worn, my youth long taken,

But in her depths, I’ve found my life.

The sun burns low, the horizon bleeds.

Memories woven in the waves.

Scars from battles, both nature and enemies.

Once I was fearless, wild as the wind.

A crew of forgotten brothers at my side.

Echoes of laughter mingle with salt and spray,

Unbroken by the whispers of the deep.

Yet shadows loom where joy once thrived,

Faces fading like mist, lost to the sea.

O wonder if ill see them once more,

Beyond the horizon’s unyielding reach.

A voyage begun, soon to end.

Oh, my comrades, my brothers of the tide,

We braved the storms together, forged by bonds in the tempest,

But fate’s cruel hand has pulled them away

Now I sail, an old man adrift,

Chasing whispers of forgotten dreams,

Like a stone skipping across the surface,

Once sending ripples of youth, now barely grazing the water,

As I await the storm’s arrival,

The calm betrays me with its false comfort.

But now the sky grows dark,

Clouds gather like vultures above.

The sea roars, a feral beast unleashed

The winds howl like ghosts of my past,

Waves rise like mountains, mighty and fierce.

I grip the wheel with calloused hands

Fighting a storm unlike any before,

Or perhaps I’ve simply lost my edge.

Heart pounding like thunder, my spirit unyielding.

The terror grips me, a tightening noose,

Each wave looms larger than the last.

I recall legends of sailors lost,

Their bodies claimed by the ravenous sea.

Yet I fight, fueled by memories and resolve,

For in this struggle, I feel their strength.

I hear their calls, wails in the winds,

Accepting that I may join them soon,

In the beckons of a sea that calls me home.

Then silence falls, an eerie calm,

The storm spent, its fury laid to rest.

A quiet peace after Chaos’ reign,

I drift on still waters, exhausted and worn.

In the stillness, I find sweet solace,

Embraced by the vastness, both friend and foe.

And I sense that death is not an end,

But a return to the arms of an old companion.

As twilight descends, I feel their presence,

My lost crew gathered at the rail,

A bittersweet echo of what once was.

For the sea, both my cradle and my grave,

Shall rock me gently through the night.

In the lull, my spirit will soar,

Life, like the ocean, flows in cycles,

With trials that test and stillness that helps.

So let the horizon climb my weary soul,

For this is my last voyage, my final farewell

And let me drift into the quiet,

forever free.

Biography

My name is Alexandra Dougherty, and I am a sophomore. When I am not in school, I enjoy reading, swimming, or spending time with my family. When I am in school, you can usually find me doing practice for math competition or hanging out with my friends.

What is your main source of inspiration?

My main source of inspiration stems from the world around me, particularly the ocean. Its vastness and ever-changing rhythms evoke a spectrum of emotions—ranging from tranquility to awe, and even fear—mirroring the complexities of life itself. In this poem, I sought to explore themes of aging, memory, and the passage of time, drawing on the sea’s enduring presence as a metaphor for life’s inevitable journey.

What message do you hope to convey through your piece?

Throughout this poem, I hope to convey the message that the end of a journey is not something to be feared, but rather a return to something familiar and eternal. The sailor’s final voyage is not just an end, but a peaceful surrender to something greater than himself—the sea, the memories of his comrades, and the ongoing rhythm of life. It’s about finding comfort in the idea that our paths, with all their turbulence, lead us to moments of quiet solace, whether they mark an end or a new beginning.