Irons to Diamonds

Irons to Diamonds – Porter Barnes

I love the wind

The way it whips through my hair

I love the sun

How it warms my back

I love the boat

The way Sila races through the waves

But mostly I love sailing.

I love the warm windy afternoons

When the sun's warmth relaxes me

And our goal is upwind.

I love such days

And today was one of them.

I stepped up to the helm

My favorite place to stand.

With a glance at the windex

I adjusted our course

Picking out a point of land.

Yes, I am nervous

But we still need to tack.

I need to turn Sila the right amount

Not too little

Not too much

"Now," Mama calls

And I turn the boat.

I turn way too much.

I spin the wheel the other way

And again I overdo it.

Sila has stopped

We are in irons

Even I, the helmsman

Cannot control Sila.

We are at the mercy

Of the wind and waves

But within minutes the wind

Fills the sails.

The spray splashes the deck.

With the sun

It looks as if Sila

Is covered in diamonds.