Barnacles Poem by Elizabeth Osoinach

Barnacles

I stand in the rain
Its pieces hitting my face
It beats down and saturates my clothes
They cling to me
The thunder rolls and lightning clashes
But the world is calm
The water beneath me rocks this thin pontoon
It rocks but does not fill and sink
The boat has experience with weather like this
I am the boat and my life in the storm
I'm chipped and dented with barnacles stuck to my side
But I have learned to live and not die
If storms like this never come, what is the point in proofing the exterior
The imperfections of my bow show the true beauty of my travels