Body Voyage

Look at this body.


Wait.


Now, look.


Look past the arms raised,

The hips dipped

The knees bent


Now, look past these things and see the bow's wake

See the ship breaking eight-meter swells


See this body leave that word and become something new


See it become a voyage

Bon voyage....


Look at these feet, these toes and these nails

Remember the miles they have walked


Remember the dirt, the cuts, the blisters


Remember the gravel roads they traveled


Remember the houses, countries they reverently entered

Look at these knees, these joints


Remember the temples, the kneeled deference

Remember the squatting to see children's faces smile

Remember the bus rides, wedged hard into corners

Look at these hips, this round, sturdy meat


Remember the cramped trou-trou's, the motorbike adjustments

Remember the twerking of transit hours,

Look at this stomach, encased in metal


Remember the street food, the impulsive cravings for food

Remember the questionable water, the stirrings of acid

Remember Doc Micah saying "no," but remember saying, "yes."

Look at this chest, peeling away to give light to a heart


Remember the crew, their faces and stories in early hours


Remember the students, faculty, staff, Lifelong Learners coming together as ubuntu

Remember the recognition of humanity, from each laugh, each smile, each meal shared

Look at these hands, smooth yet rough


Remember the hand held in silent solidarity


Remember the first and last embrace


Remember the touch of a friend's fingertips, grazing, almost as if to say "I'll remember you"

Look at this smile, wide from ear to ear, digging deep into cheeks


Remember the seminars, mouth wide, eating each lesson


Remember the hollering, yelling out in case we forgot that this was a moment

Travel up, one last time.


To these. To my eyes.


To these brown ovals in quiet acceptance.

            Remember this look.


Remember their expression, aged with sights and sounds


Remember their creases, squinting as if asking silently, quietly, why? Remember the tears, tracking dirt down this face

Because, it's looked towards the horizon each morning, each night


Because it has hoped that this won't end.


Because these eyes, this heart, this body, it cannot bear to think of a time without family

Without ubuntu.
Without you.


For you have made these feet, hands, knees strong


You have stopped the aches in this chest, this smile


For you have given a face, a beat to each pump of my heart.


Listen to these hands that shape these words, their words


Their "I love you"
We do not leave it behind with the last embrace


Not love lost
Not love misplaced or forgotten


We know where it is


Love given
Love received


So look towards these eyes, follow their gaze.


Towards the horizon, we watch, we wait for forever to continue until a voice whispers back It rides the waves, as quiet, as secret as the crests of the Indian Ocean
It finds its way to our eyes and pulls a current with each word, saying


That if this be the end of things, if this truly be the end, a midnight signal of stating finality,

Then let it reach deep into us
Let it take hold of our souls


Let it shake our foundations


And, when the earthquake settles


When our souls can finally catch a breath


Then,
Then,
Then, let it feel like infinity.

 

By: Stephen Brown

SAS Spring 2013

This was a poem performed at the Semester at Sea talent show last night. It was a very moving piece that captured the essence of Semester at Sea Spring 2013 Voyage around the world