The Danforth Anchor

On river, lake, ocean or sea,
each boat has its
unique shape, size and capacity. . .
a weight to load,
a storage built for some said volume cargo
and some amount of total space
planned for how many an abode. . .

a certain length of mast or sail
or thickness of hull,
made from certain raw materials,
or others,

and perhaps some other means
the boat in given circumstance
quite trusty to propel.

Give it less that what it’s made for,
come even weather fair
and winds minor,
it may be hard to steady,
and its keel could therefore waver,
not sitting nicely in the water,
and resisting each tried and true maneuver,

But give it too much more
than it is fit to take,
and that may spell trouble
out beyond the prow
and also in its wake.

So, to bring aboard the folks and goods
within a range of right amounts
can, at times, be tough
without express instruction so to know,
for proper load and proper steering, then to execute,
in the end to take and jettison enough
at the right times

will be crucial
for a journey successful,
no matter what the riches, smarts or skills
that may be possessed,
by boat designer, crew and passenger,

For,
to be at sea
brings risks inherently
quite different
from making a like journey
in a more familiar mode,
upon a firm and maybe surer,
albeit sometimes longer,
o’erland route.