Permeation

The vessel of family is a boat
Precarious in its creation
For she draws unsteady on the water
Toward an unknown port of destination

Full steam ahead there are no charts
The sky's an inky black
At the speed of life you'd lose your way
If even a glance e'er ventured back

Keeping center of gravity
In an ungainly ship this size
Requires courage and dexterity
Under the constant threat of capsize

'Tis not a cruise for everyone -
Souls who lack constitution
Feel our home expressionless
Seek instead an earth-bound solution

But back when I first doubted
Captaining this boat of life
A vision without family haunted me
Filling me with strife

Like Moses, I wandered the wilderness
Pursuing water's taste
Forty-years of freedom's illusion
In a dry and barren place

True freedom's not direction
Nor destination true
The journey makes all the difference
When you ship out with your own crew

Its easy to die for the ones you love
Easy also, to kill
To live for them however
A noble and difficult destiny to fulfill

I sought to regain myself
A reflection of individuality's pace
But after a decade of marriage
Saw only my spouse's face

I am who I am because of my choices
And having never backed down
I am the captain of my vessel
And she will never run aground!