Lighthouse

by Kendall Albriktsen

Hello, my name is Kendall, and this is my piece, “Lighthouse.” I had a hard time choosing between the poems I’ve written in the last couple years, but I really felt this one was a good example of the imagery I try to portray in my poems. This poem is a representation of something I was experiencing during my freshman year of college. Poetry is a way of journaling for me, since it is a way I process my feelings in a more visual way. I hope you enjoy reading “Lighthouse,” and I will leave the interpretation of it up to you, the reader! Thanks!

I am a keeper of light;

my duty to guide lost ships to shore.

I spend my nights illuminating their way to safety.

The moon lends her hand,

aiding those who fall just outside my reach.

But tonight, I wonder where she is,

hidden behind a misty haze.

A ship finds its way into my view,

miles away and blanketed by fog.

It calls my name,

but the rocks call louder.

The bow heads directly into the jaws of a beast

much greater than I.

I pray that I’m enough to help.

I sound the foghorn, as the mist only thickens,

but the waves are tumultuous,

fueled by the wind.

I begin to scream.

A futile attempt, because what good is my voice

amidst the other noise?

Why won’t they turn around?

I scream again.

Louder.

My ears are ringing

and the ship won’t turn around.

It blows full steam ahead,

and my cries of desperation

are not enough.

I don’t hear the ship crash,

but I can imagine what it sounds like.

Wood splintering as rock tears through its ribs.

The ocean a grave for the lives I couldn’t save.

I thought I was a keeper of light,

but I can’t save every lost ship.

I will come back and do it all again tomorrow