the ship

The oil lamp casts a shadow on the wall, and it dances and sways in the slight breezes that play with the flame on the wick. I notice and exhale a little harder and grin as the shadows dance.

The cool blue formica table top is cool on my cheek as I sit in the chair, with my head lain down on the table.

In an instant the wind is howling, sea spray and rain. The deck tilts wildly, then dives down forward into the trough of a wave; as it comes up the other side the wave breaks over the bow.

The sails are cracking tight overhead. A large groan and the big ship crests the wave and dives down into the next trough.

Water runs everywhere on the deck, the ship pitches suddenly to one side. A loud creaking cracking sound and the ship seems to turn in place.

My face is wet. I close my eyes.

When I open them, I'm awake, the power is back on, mom has put out the oil lamp and is making us go to bed.

When we were kids and the power would go out in the winter(it happened lots) we would use mom's old newfie oil lamps in the kitchen, and she would tell us stories about growing up in a fishing outport in Newfoundland, or maybe dad would tell a rare story from his time on the ships in the navy.

That dream I had was SOOO real at the time(I was like 5 or 6 yrs old). I kind of thought that little ship was maybe magic or something.

And since all I have to do is look at it, and I'm that little kid again for a second or two, I guess it kinda is. it's my most prized possesion. my talisman.