As Steadfast As A Lighthouse... Poem by Denis Martindale

It was indeed a long time ago,
Determined men chose to break their backs,
To build that yonder lighthouse,
To provide safety in the storms
And to lead the way home to port,
To safe harbour once again,
To help mariners home to their loved ones,
To the little ones still praying,
To the warm fires still burning,
And to the cooked meals prepared in faith,
To the comfort of their sofas and chairs,
To the removal of cold clothes,
To the warmth of waiting beds,
To the dreams instead of nightmares,
To life instead of death.

So do not look at that lighthouse
And only see a lighthouse,
Nor touch its old cemented stones
And only touch cold stones
Nor gaze up towards the beacon of light
And only see that bold, bright light,
For you are looking at the difference
Between mortal success and failure,
Between joyful smiles and solemn stares,
Between prayers answered and those dismissed,
And even more.

If those mariners return not to their wives, then what?
No more children will be born, then what?
No more wages to support those loved ones, then what?
The cost of a funeral here and there
To destroy all the money saved over the years?
So I plead with you, a century after being built,
Give honour to those who kept their vigil
And served in the lighthouse to help Mankind,
As they sacrificed their waking hours for others.
Yes, for others not known by name yet still cherished,
Yes, cherished all the same throughout the years.

Beyond this sun, this moon and stars,
Our God looks down below,
All-knowing and all-seeing evermore,
Yet He did not build the lighthouse
But let others create position and stance,
Amid the golden sunlight as by day
And the silver moonlight as by night,
Perchance to prevent the unthinkable,
The horrors of the storms unfolding,
The screams of fearful men at sea,
The cargo still at risk below,
Perhaps the Captain going down with his ship,
As his last act of duty upon this Earth.

While men endure the storms at sea,
The lighthouse fails them not,
Nor does it move itself to cower,
Nor pretend it cannot see the sea,
Nor can it run to them with a mighty hand
To lift them from their plight,
It only offers light and nothing more,
Yet that is the light they need
When the sun and moon and stars
Have no more to show the way,
And if not for the lighthouse
Would those men have travelled so?
To risk their all for wages week-by-week,
Or fish the sea for food for others to eat?
The lighthouse grants them courage
To persevere and endure all things,
Savage, wild, untamed, and so severe.
So do not only see a lighthouse,
For it is so much more!

Denis Martindale.

Here is an edited version of the initial
poetry written on the 23rd of October,2013.
I updated it on the 26th of January,2024.