“The Picnic Scene”

Two ships went down on ocean blue;
Two men were safe – rowboats were two;
One had a water filter new;
The other, hardtack, bags of blue.

They drifted many days – bad scene;
One hungrier than he had been,
The other had no hunger – thirst
His issue was – he thought he’d burst –

With hardtack and some fish he’d caught;
The more he ate, the more he thought
About his need for water – fast;
Bad scene for both on ocean vast.

One day hope dawned on both this way –
Each found the other – shared the day
Which started at its darkest point,
But in the end, God could anoint –

Them each with other’s gifts – a break –
They lashed their boats, found they could make
A sail from a bed-sheet one guy had,
Fixed on two poles from other – glad –

Poles finally had a role to play,
Not sitting lashed to thwarts all day;
And so the two, adrift, alone,
Together made their way towards home.

Lord, You brought us this far to date,
In-patience, both just float and wait;
Bless gifts we each bring to this scene;
From weary days for both now wean.

For desperate each are for good news
The other brings – conflicted views,
Which by themselves quite useless are;
And larger crews won’t get us far.

For we need parts quite different now;
Not to more the same – let pride allow
Us to move forward from this day,
That separate vessels make their way.

That does not mean the two are one,
But life that’s shared ’neath rising sun
Can now survive, bring others life,
’Fore setting sun brings troubled night.

“Stu, it’s okay, I’ve got your back –
That’s plural – I’ve resource you lack;
So hold that hope on Spanish main,
Lest heat drive both of you insane.

“The problem with the yarn you spin,
Is there’s two boats – the one you’re in,
And one he’s in – that makes just two –
But there are more – to each of you –

“Quite different – it will take a stretch
For all concerned to futures mesh
With other boats out on the brine –
Needs and resource – My gift’s sublime.

“There’s boats of Muslims, boats of Jews;
Boats filled with disillusioned views,
Like those friend Stanley spoke of once;
What’s needed now? My man – a dunce –

“A ‘fool for Christ’s sake’, Paul once quipped,
For laughter’s needed – like St. Nick
You played back in theology –
To give My gift – to others feed.

“So just kick back and watch My show;
When I say ‘Move ‘, get up and go;
It all works out – you’ll lose your pride,
But through this aisle I’ll in you ’bide.”

Lord, this is problematic now,
For on this ocean You allow
Enough for each to meet the needs
Of all the rest – if each will feed –

Not hoard in prideful arrogance;
“Stu, choice is yours – ignore each fence,
And bring your ‘loaves-and-fishes-lunch’
To Me – I’ll bless, and break – they’ll munch.

Thanks Lord for this.

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