The duffle bag’s packed, am I ready?
Yes, running away, but I feel steady

Because I know…

I have to leave
I need to grieve
The choices I’ve made
And this life I lead

To find the why…

The why I do what I do
To cause the dark that cuts through
The deep within, don’t judge my sin
I couldn’t withstand the winds that blew

So, I run
To where the sea meets the sun
Worry, wait, anticipate
Will I be a chosen one?

Finally, comes the call
Hardhat on, hit that Union Hall
Hear my name, I’ve won this game
Off this mark, I cannot fall

Surrounded by the few with birthing hips
The only females on this ship
We come in close, as we all know
This is our chance, this is it

For we must rise to the tasks
That will test our spirits and our backs
We don’t know, how we will grow
As we tuck in to sleep on our racks

But there will be a few
Maybe six or so of this crew
Who will bond in their strong
What strength they had, who knew

Now leaving my life I felt the wonder
Meeting a chick roustabout, and a chick plumber
Another who ran a business, a success
And a fisherman chick painter, a world wanderer

This little group wearing steel toe boots
Did this disaster choose
To better their lives, with the cause that did rise
And make their money, make their move

For though it pained the heart
To see shores made so dark
For some this horror, this event
Would provide a new start

As it did me…

Together we’d build
On what that oil had spilled
We’d make our best out of this mess
And their resilience instilled

In me..
Inspiration, determination

With hammer and nails
We built offices and rails
Some washed boots and decks too
Some washed rocks when not at sail

I remember in a note one day
To one of the boss ladies I did say
Get me on the beach, out of ‘his’ reach
I did not come here to ‘play’

I was washing rocks the next shift….

Hauling one-hundred-pound pumps
One each end grabbed and humped
On oil slicked rocks, in wet boots and wet socks
Learning to climb and never jump

‘Cause that’s how you get hurt…

They looked out for me they did
Threw a birthday party for this kid
They took a chance, hired a guy to dance
On this secret, kept the lid

It was against All the rules….

They showed me women could be strong
While supporting me like my mom
And together we could weather
Any task or storm that came along

As I looked at all of them
To me, older women back then
I remember thinking, of when I was sinking
‘I want a life like these friends’

On the nights with no sleep
Due to all those dark memories
I’d put word to pen, again and again
Slowly healing injuries

They and the journalling I’d do
Would help me work through
See past me for what I could be
With that, them and work, how time flew

Before I knew it six months had passed…

I signed on for more work when off the water
My parents got to talk to their wayward daughter
Washed boats during the day, at night did play
But never did take it any farther

I had straightened out.. somewhat

The Summer came to an end
I would rarely again see my new friends
But I still hold them close in my heart
For showing me who I wanted to be in the end

Going home after that last hangout
With my artist friend who was all about
Living true to herself, that was her wealth
We planned later to meet but went different routes

To Mexico…

But that’s a story for a later day
For after the Oil Spill I found my way
It still took a minute to be full in it
But I soaked up heat and healing in the coming rays

Of sun…