Nowhere to hide

The slap of waves on the boat's side
As now the wind blew as night fell
Fourth day at sea with nowhere to hide

Except when the sea was unkind
And sprayed us all with its wet kiss
O land, land just where are you to find?

Last night another baby dies
But the mother still holds him tight
When she gives him up, all day she cries

Our water is running so short
But one sip in morning and night
Just how long before we reach a port?

How bad was life before this?
That makes us suffer hell at sea
The first sandy shoreline I will kiss

It's dark but lights are seen far off
So we head that way full of hope
But my mother now has a bad cough

We arrive at a cove near a port
And soon are discovered there
But too late our landing to abort

So we are herded in buses
Just how comfy the seats they feel
We're so quiet nobody cusses

I smile at my little brother
His eyes all agog at this place
And mother with us all together

Image found at http://www.insajderi.com

A vision splendid, sometimes

What vision this that stirs a man
Who treading first upon a land
Will settle there and rest his bones
And a country is born

Then a young lass espies a man
She'll surely catch him if she can
So long as he makes the first approach
And a new love is born

Charcoal scrawls and daubs of paint
Model poses unlike a saint
His eyes flash with such artistic skill
A master work is born

The gardener paces up and down
His brow wrinkles with a frown
He's busy planting for all he's worth
A new landscape is born

A politician scans the map
Then rants and raves then takes a nap
Now he's upset nations near and far
A new conflict is born

Image found at www.renoir.net/renoir-paintings.jsp