“Mexican Blues” by Carmen Walsh, 2013
Life from a Rowboat’s Perspective
Poem by Carmen Walsh, written 7/13/2026
Securely tied to the home pier
I’m comfortable in the familiar view
softly bouncing with the current
until parents and kids come to take me out
for another fun adventure together.
With fewer visits and less frequent care
I’m not as bright and shiny as I once was
but grateful I can still serve family
and friends from time to time—
wondering if I am less valuable now.
A sloppy knot, I float away unnoticed—
no land visible and all feels lost
when a stranger tired of swimming
sees me with a shout of Hallelujah!
and climbs aboard. I’m useful again.
But he soon regains his strength and
jumps out, resuming his own journey
leaving me alone again to despair:
Am I to be all alone in this life,
with no purpose, no joy of connection?
In the solitude I feel the water lapping
at my sides, reminding me gently
that it’s always there supporting me.
I am built specifically for the water.
I am connected with the water.
Passengers and shores provide content,
diverse experiences, some delightful, some not.
Weather conditions also are temporary,
sunny calm waters one day, dark waves the next.
The only lifelong adventure is with the water.
So the question is: Do I trust the water?
Do I fear the water and feel happy only when
the sun shines and people choose to be with me—
or do I gratefully allow the water to carry me
through all life’s changing conditions, which will come either way.
The water is Life itself. Do you want to fear it, fight it, or enjoy the ride?