bobdubbloon

Deployment: Crossing the Bar

10:07:15 25 Jul, 2026

The ship was built in sheltered docks, Her timbers sound and true. Her name was carved, her sails were bent, Her compass held its view. The charts were drawn. The stores were stowed. The captain knew his trade. But still she rested, safe ashore, A promise only made. Then came the call to cross the bar, Where river meets the sea. The harbour ropes were cast away "Now sail for all to see." She entered waters shared by all, Where every ship must fare. No private pond, no hidden cove, But open currents there. The sea remembered where she'd passed, Each bearing, wake, and tack. No sailor could deny the course, Or call the journey back. Yet oceans do not favour names, Nor bless a painted bow. A vessel earns her reputation By how she rides the flow. Deployment is that crossing point, The harbour left behind. A token joins the common sea, Its fortune with the tide entwined.