Back in the winter of 1991 there was a strange storm one night
It knocked out the light that shined bright in the lighthouse
Fortunately no ships were sailing the ocean on that evening
We were actually looking for a new keeper to tend to the lighthouse
But it seems that men nowadays no longer can make such a commitment
It’s not hard to fully blame them as times have changed from the past
Cities are growing and many want to move on to the next best thing
Not many people appreciate the little things such as the sea and the stars
But the day after the storm there was a man who arrived into town
We’ve never seen him before and yet he seemed like someone familiar
The last light-keeper died from old age but loved the sea and this town
This man however mustn’t even be 28 when he came to inquire about the job
All he had with him besides clothes and some books was his leather journal
One could only assume he writes his thoughts and random things into it
The question is if it’s only meant for his eyes or for someone else’s
He appeared to be a genuine, honest man whenever people spoke to him
There was a certain charisma to him that made people like him
However to the keen eye you could see that he was dampening himself
He was hiding a part of him so that people wouldn’t get so close
It’s strange because you’d swear that he wanted to be very sociable but wasn’t
And off our townsmen took him to the lighthouse by boat with his few things
The people never saw him again except for the rare occasions our town called him
What life was he leaving behind back where he’s from I often wondered to myself
What family was he walking away from, what friends did he silently drift apart of
All these things and more I was curious of about the man in the lighthouse
If anyone looked out far to the lighthouse you might be able to see him
He often sits overlooking the ocean just watching the waters crash along the banks
As if he’s constantly in deep thought while the wind gushes past his face
Did he ever envision himself in this position of being so isolated from everyone
Or did he feel obligated to cast himself to that shore and why do I bother chasing
So one day I took off on a rowboat to go visit with him even if it breaks town rules
It seems most people nowadays just stay in their own world with heads down
Not knowing what interesting characters just happen to be sitting right beside them
Or in this case across the shore, trapped on an isle all to himself, waiting there
But as I kept rowing, the tide only insisted on pushing me elsewhere from him
Eventually I turned back around and decided to wait should he return to land
When he did, I wanted to see why he chose this path and why not leave it
From what I gathered, he tried everything else many times to no avail
The light always called to him although he knew what tides would come
As if he was meant for this even if he did not want to necessarily do it at first
Or maybe he needed the light, just as it needed him, so he could send out a signal
A call that could reach the horizon afar towards something or for someone to see
Although he got along with many, one realizes too late how isolated he has been
He was no longer chasing, yet he was not going to let the lighthouse fully take him
For his hope was as far and patient as the luminescence that beamed out onto the sea
He took this risk knowing what it could mean, but he seemed willing to wait among the stars
On his visit where I spoke with him, he left with a look of contentment with his choices
He never came back to the town and he would go on to be the next old Light-keeper
I truly wished I could’ve told him “Don’t go to the lighthouse! Don’t follow the Light!”
But it was too late and no one was around to tell him this, not friends or family or anyone
Even though we see the sunset, the stars and the light, we all see them differently
And perhaps all he wanted in life was to find those who saw them in a similar way
What I realized is he was chasing after, and running from, the same thing and in the end
There is always a lighthouse, always a man, always someone who will see the light between . . .
Novatourist 