A View from the Sea

I penned a poem last night, prompted by very recent events in the UK. Which leave me chilled to the core. RNLI Volunteers, whose selfless role it is to save lives at sea without fear or favour. Volunteers are now suffering abuse, physically and online for rescuing migrants, who are drowning in the English Channel. One of the busiest shipping lanes in the World.

The situation has become so volatile, that volunteers are now advised not to wear any clothing which may identify their connection with the RNLI, incase they are attacked. The RNLI is an organisation we are most proud of in this country, an island.

Here is the poem I penned last night, trying to express the horror of it all.

A Poem

Cold – waves – wind taking the route
Cold – waves – taking the boat

Cold – black night – dark sea
Ready to engulf- soaking our clothes

Streets – lined with black – black clothes
Not wet clothes – saturated black with hate

No face, no smile, no emotion

Go – leave, turn back to the dark sea
Let the sea take you
Take you from our shore. Let it drag you down to the depths – Cold, dark depths

Never to sea the sunrise on a new shore
Let it drag you down to the dark, dark depths
Don’t see the light of day on our shores.

Be a number, never known.
Not by us. By someone else on a distant shore. Their tears never seen or heard

A name never known
A smile never shown
A child never grown

Go back, they say, go back to the dark cold sea. Waves soaking your clothes.
Let your clothes be soaked, and drag you down to the dark, dark depths.
Never known here…go back and be taken by the dark, dark depths

We don’t see life
We don’t see death.
We don’t see you.

But we want the sea to take you. We want the rescuers to leave you to the dark, dark depths. Never to meet the sunrise again.
Go – leave – sink

We march back to our dark dark depths. We are a sea of dark dark depths. A mirror to the cold dark sea

Cold – waves – leading the route
Cold – waves – taking the shout
……….

Hope found in ME
September 2026

I pray for some sanity in this situation. No matter a person’s view on migration. These are real lives. With real lives being risked to save life at sea in treacherous conditions, by extremely brave and selfless people – volunteers!

Peace be with you.

Have a blessed day⚘