Coasting (Malabar To China)

From darkness unto light; wooden deck to sandy beach
Sand clogging my toes, legs still a-tremble
He still held my rope, the welts on my neck
Aflame with the salt in the air
On board again, I could see now
Through a circle of light. Green fronds, brown men.
Pepper in my nose, sweet smell of cardamom
Not the smells of home; already forgotten
It slips away, memories of clear light and sky
Water my home now. Lurching, my being.
No longer elegant silhouette against evening sun
Only memories, of a long, loping run.