Home by Sea

If I go back, may it be by sea,

In a mahogany boat, with strong winds.

Returning to a place I once knew,

A place simultaneously old, and new.

When I go back, may my boat travel soft,

Soft like the city my memory held

While I traveled distant lands, so far

From home, so different from my youth.

May the corners of my home, be still

In time, and true to my recollection.

And when I return, they recognize me

As I recognize them.

The city ages, and so do I,

And from the distance I can see, we both

Have changed. Years passed,

And each day we grow apart.

So, if I go back, may it be by sea.

In an old mahogany boat, not too old,

And with my memory intact,

So we can recognize each other, at last.