It’s not uncommon for us to use metaphors about ships, sailing and the sea when discussing difficult times or the idea of forging a path.

Have you ever heard someone talk about ‘steering a course’ or ‘navigating’ their way through a tough time? Maybe you know the phrase ‘travelling at a rate of knots’ for when something is happening rather too quickly. Or perhaps you might have heard a challenging situation described in terms of ‘choppy waters’ or ‘rough seas’. Only last night during the Year 9 GCSE options talk, Mrs Elphinstone spoke of navigating our own little ship through rough waters, as those girls embark upon important choices at a time when we need to look ahead to a brighter horizon.

In the poem ‘Autobiography’, the poet Patricia Beer describes a journey through life: traversing ‘many waters’, a life of personal ups and downs, yet all the while the ‘Arctic and equator’ remained constant. I wonder what remains constant in our own lives as we go through changes?

Beer presents things moving into the periphery as her life progresses: ‘harbours sank’ and ‘landmarks melted into the sky’. Perhaps she is speaking of the happiness we can find when we discard surplus things, and focus our energies on supporting others, leaving our mark on the world through the love and care that we pour out to people’s lives.

At the end, the poet describes those she meets during her life as ‘ships in their own stories’. I think this speaks to us not just about looking after ourselves, our little ships, but also about the perspective of other people. If we remember that everyone is trying to steer their own ship, perhaps it is a reminder to try to understand where others are coming from; everyone has their own hopeful course, their own dreams for their path, and we must fit these together to have a harmonious society.

I hope you enjoy this poem, and that it encourages you to think about your own little ship – who is in it with you for your life’s journey? How can you steer your ship alongside that of others? And what must we do to navigate those stormy seas?