OUTSIDE THE EMBASSY
It was a moment when I realized
Something was coming to an end
Having accomplished what I set out to do
The sea was waiting for me as I mused
(Or the turnings in of the sea) where the
Sea gently became a river, the bay
Area where the overpass looks over
At the ships that must be setting out
For fishing no doubt, or perhaps travel?
But it seems unlikely, that smell of salt
In the air, an offshore wind, and why was it
That I was all alone? I couldn’t help but feel
The sensation of space, this great expanse
By the water, looking down all the way
To the sea, birds hung in the sky restlessly
And how did I find myself here, in this place
I always came to, to rest, for a moment, when
I was in town, yes, there were a few people
Walking to and from the station, but none
(Though it seemed strange) by these benches
Or on the pathway stretching out, until
It was lost in sight, curving around the bend
It seemed a good place to take out a book
And read, but no, the wind was too strong
For that, too strong even for the birds
To sit still, or land for more than just
A touch, on the ground before lifting off
This place will be etched in my memory
I thought, this time, will come to mean
So much, although it was not a place
I could settle down, the aftereffect
Of having abandoned my former life
Was there, and as I took in a breath
Of that salty sea air, I knew that
I could move on, with my life