Super Laura IP

By Highhat

Fri, 22 Jul 2011

585 reads

12 comments

Having left Gibraltar
The seaways of the world were her choice
Circumnavigating the globe
She celebrated her 15th birthday
On her voyage
The wind had been kind but
Now she hit calm waters
In the Atlantic
The sun blazed down
in this vast expanse
Laura
Captain of the 38 foot ketch
And only crew member,
Thought of her family
Her mother and father would
Be on the ship’s radio
later
All was quiet
There wasn’t a wind
Only the shackles
Could be heard
Clanging against the mast
The sails hung limp from the riggings
The ketch was adrift on the current
Laura
made a decision
She had to keep her timetable
Young maiden of the seas
Stronger than most
Alone on her boat
Quite alone

Certificate U

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Biography

Comments

Well done on this one, Pia.

Permalink Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on Fri, 2011-07-22 16:26

Well done on this one, Pia. My mind is a blank at the moment as far as the IP is concerned, but I really enjoyed hearing all about the adventures of Laura, and its rather poignant ending;-) Tina

Hi Tina- thanks for reading-

Permalink Submitted by Highhat on Fri, 2011-07-22 16:44

Hi Tina- thanks for reading- glad you liked this- it is based on facts-she is still on her voyage and will be the youngest ever to have circumnavigated the globe!! ;)Pia

Hi Pia, what a great

Permalink Submitted by skinner_jennifer on Fri, 2011-07-22 17:13

Hi Pia, what a great adventure for a woman, and what a great idea for the IP, you have really used your imagination on this piece. A very enjoyable read. Jenny.

Go, Laura, and Go, Pia!

Permalink Submitted by RachelPatricia on Fri, 2011-07-22 20:01

Go, Laura, and Go, Pia! Really enjoyed this, the ending in particular, and as Jenny said, what an adventure :) Rachel xx

Hi Jenn- you know I didn't

Permalink Submitted by Highhat on Sat, 2011-07-23 04:18

Hi Jenn- you know I didn't use my imagination that much because this is based on a true story: 15 year old Laura is still on her circumnavigation- she has reached French Polynesia at this date. Laura is a young girl from The Netherlands. You can google her Laura Dekker- it is an incredible story. Thank you so much for reading and commenting- I really appreciate it atb ;)Pia

Hi Rachel- I am not sure if

Permalink Submitted by Highhat on Sat, 2011-07-23 04:25

Hi Rachel- I am not sure if I understand these lonely seafarer's quest but I do admire them. Yes she truly is an adventurer and so young. Thank you so much for reading and commenting. atb ;)Pia

This is lovely Pia - and the

Permalink Submitted by Overthetop1 on Sun, 2011-07-24 13:32

This is lovely Pia - and the ending is excellent.

Overthetop1

thank you OTT- she is a

Permalink Submitted by Highhat on Sun, 2011-07-24 13:42

thank you OTT- she is a remarkable young lady. ;)Pia

Oh I like this! I used to

Permalink Submitted by LEJenkinson on Fri, 2011-07-29 20:16

Oh I like this! I used to live in Portsmouth Harbour and went to watch the yachts go off around the world from from teh Quays, once saw Dee Cafiri set off on the Vendee Globe race, so this struck a chord. Lovely use of line length. LEJ

Thanks for reading LEJ- must

Permalink Submitted by Highhat on Sat, 2011-07-30 06:05

Thanks for reading LEJ- must have been lovely to live right by the harbour. ;)Pia

I'm being totally honest.

Permalink Submitted by well-wisher on Mon, 2012-01-02 05:42

I'm being totally honest. This is a good poem and one of the most striking things about it is the vocabulary that you use. Reading this, it is difficult to believe that you are not a sailor because you use nautical terms so convincingly. Parts of this poem are also very dramatic and atmospheric like All was quiet There wasn’t a wind Only the shackles Could be heard Clanging against the mast The sails hung limp from the riggings And the eery quietness you describe really helps to convey a sense of being alone but also of how frightening it might be for a teenage girl to face such dangers alone and thus how courageous she must be. There is also a romanticism about this poem. You are celebrating a real life romantic heroine "Young maiden of the seas Stronger than most" And a serious minded young woman with grit and determination: 'made a decision She had to keep her timetable' But this is also a poem about someone facing and overcoming obstacles; the elements; loneliness; sailing such a large boat single handed; youth and all the conventional assumptions/stereotypes about youth and gender. It's an inspirational poem, I think, because it isn't just about sailing a boat but about universal things like getting through life alone and facing obstacles. Reading this poem convinces me that you are a writer and should keep writing.

Oh look, a link. I wonder where it leads.

JoHn

Thanks very very much John-

Permalink Submitted by Highhat on Mon, 2012-01-02 06:42

Thanks very very much John- you a very supportive. I really appreciaate your praise. You know I may very well look into the poetry handbooks you recommend on the other thread. If not for anything else- I am sure I will learn something but I do feel I have come to a bit of a standstill with my poetry writing in english. It is all a bit strenuous- but hey who said you get anything for free? Ha ha I know it is hard work but it used to come easily to me. I am so glad for your words. I can't thank you enough. So kind of you. ;)Pia