Thursday, February 23, 2006

The Pirate Ship from Days Long Ago

I sat under the clouds for most of the afternoon. I hadn’t any place to go, not a thing to do, it was the joyous wealth of time, in the expanse of forever. My legs had room to stretch to their fullest. I could lay back and watch the sky or roll over and roll over on my side as if I were a pencil rolling down a desk in school. I didn’t care if my hair, my shirt, my pants were completely filled with Key West white, white sand. I knew it wasn’t Chicago snow. This sky was widest, wildest blue not gray. If was going to be without, then I was glad to be without. . . here.

Mom used to talk about how the summer sun used to wear us out. She said the breeze and sun and would instill and take it out of us. She knew her stuff, because sure enough, I found myself soon pushing sand like an animal, making a space where I might fit. I was literally burrowing in for a small nap out in the fresh air. A nap in the fresh daylight air—that is so not like me. I like dark when I sleep, and lots of blankets and air conditioning, but sleeping by the ocean is a special treat that I wanted again—all stretched and free on the white, white sand.

I woke with the chill of the oncoming evening, and I figured that it was the sign that I needed to head back for some food. The oncoming darkness make me think of days long ago—before electricity when times were more wild. I felt like an explorer, and I suppose in a way I was. I wasn’t quite sure just which way I should go.

I headed in the general direction of where I was most likely to find my hotel and what stuff I had waiting there, I thought of the magical things that naps and dreamy skies, sand, sun and space could bring to mind a mind wasn’t filled with too many details of grown-up worries not worth worrying about. I was pondering the quest of Ponce deLeon and the Fountain of Youth when I came up behind a tree on the ocean side of the beach.

Then I saw it. A pirate ship.

I was sure of it. It was small and what else could it be, hiding there by the tree in the almost dark right there? It was a pirate ship from days of long ago. I knew it. It was owned by good pirates who’d just come home from a swashbuckling pirate adventure. They’d saved a whole colony from an evil king and had won the king’s treasure fair and square in a dangerous, but heartfelt and gallant swordfight. A princess swooned. A dragon died. The people cheered. The flags flew and the horns played when the pirates finally left the shores of the grateful people they had saved.

That’s the beauty of a nap on the beach under the widest, wildest blue, blue sky in the fresh are on the white, white sand. You get to see the pirate ship, when the rest only get to see a boat.
—me strauss Letting me be

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

excellent my friend (and someday I will tell you the story of my great great great grandmother who family legend has it was the mistress of a pirate LOL)

we are having such a wonderful vacation, thanks for sharing (hugs)

Anonymous said...

Burrowing in the sand making a perfectly me-sized place for a nap -- ooohhh, that feels good!!Funny though. When I woke up and was heading back to our motel, I could've sworn I saw the Balclutha moored at the pier awaiting it's final voyage back to San Francisco . . .

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Hi Trace.A pirate in the family! I sthat really what I'm earing? Cool!

It's kind of a nice escape isn't it.
Yeah.

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Good morning Dawn,
WoW! Maybe you did see the Balclutha moored at the pier. But that sure would be a voyage I wouldn't want to be on. Probably why I didn't see it. :)

Anonymous said...

Hi!

I'm enjoying your Key West musings -

When you get there, be sure to stay at the Merlin.

E

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Hi E,
The Merlin eh?
Does he actually LIVE there--or just own it?

Anonymous said...

helllllooo hollaaa hiyooo aaai Lizpirateboat


y

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Hello my pirate friend.

Anonymous said...

sp Merlinn

> Does he actually LIVE there--or just own it?

I'm not sure - maybe the English weather was getting him cranky so he just moved to Key West?

E

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Hey E.

I'll have to see if I can catch up with Merlin-n. I've already got a place to stay. tee-hee. That's how Zen traveling works.

Liz

Anonymous said...

I walked on the sugarsand beach this morning, gathering in the energy of the roaring sea, when I ran into an old friend. He is a salty dog... The REAL Travis McGee.

He loaned me his old 16' Boston Whaler with a 50 hp Evenrude engine that acts like an angry barmaid on a Saturday night.

He packed me a lunch of leftovers and two cold beers, and pointed me to Anclote Island.

Anclote is uninhabited, pristine Florida at its finest. There is noting there but a lighthouse, and legends of burried gold from the pirate ships that used to hide behind her.

After exploring, and working up a good sweat, I sat on some driftwood under a shade palm, and ate the fried chicken, and drank that cold beer.

Best meal Ive ever had. Even the bit of sand in my teeth felt good.

On the way back across the bay, a school of dolphins offered royal escort, jumping joyfully into the setting sun with me.

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

Hey Kelley,
That's some friend you have and some adventurous day that you had going. Meet you back at the hotel for dinner.
Liz

Anonymous said...

I'll bring my Fresh Catch if you will fry it up!

"ME" Liz Strauss said...

What me cook? Can you hear the whole world laughing? I'll hire a person who knows how.

smiles,
Liz