Original Poem: Of Wind and Waves

And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.                                          Mark 4:39

This is a poem that I wrote on November 2nd, 2014. The background music is a guitar instrumental that I composed while living on the Island of Guam in the early-nineties. The name of the instrumental is CALM, STARRY NIGHTS AT SEA.

Of Wind And Waves

By Captain J. Brad Chapman

I see fear in their furrowed brow and their terror stricken eyes,
as they stare into the fierceness of the gale.
I see the tenseness of their hands, their strained and vice-like grip,
as they wildly clutch the safety of the rail.

Panic seizes all the crew, as the pouncing tiger waves,

leap with fury  across the drenched and heaving deck.

Tender thoughts of family sweep  with horror through their minds,

as they contemplate their doomed and foundering wreck.

With seas now sloshing around  their knees, they know that soon they'll sink,

the time is now or never to do or die.

But lo, look there, the sleeping Lord knows nothing of the storm,

but calmly slumbers even when death is nigh.

He’s jostled from a fitful sleep, and standing, stretching now,

He feels the awkward movement of the waves.

“Carest not that we parish?” is the question he is given,

as their eyes reveal their fear of watery graves.

So gazing out upon the deep, He slowly lifts His arm,

and rebukes the wind with gentle words, not shrill.

The men now all-aghast, as the winds start to subside,

with His meek and lowly words of .  .  .  . “Peace, Be Still."

Why are ye all so fearful? Why do ye have no faith?,

He questions as the winds lay down to calm.

“What manner-of-man is this?” they say, “that even-the-wind and sea,

obey this man who has no doubts or qualms.”

.  .  .  .

And now we look back on that day, that fierce, tempestuous storm.

when the Master did command the wind and waves.

But more than that, we’re sore amazed, He’d not just rescued us,

but with His blood  .  .  .  .  .  . our souls  .  .  .  .  .  He’s valiantly saved!

Of Wind and Waves 

By J. Brad Chapman

November 2, 2014

There is a painting in the lobby of the Las Vegas Temple of the Savior calming the wind and waves. It is my favorite painting of that event. I wrote this poem with that painting in mind and tried to capture the feelings and thoughts from the faces and actions of the crewman.

Painting by Walter Rane

Original Nautical Poem: The Face of the Sea

.  .  .  .  .  do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way.   

 Alma 37:46

STRENUOUSNESS IS THE IMMORTAL PATH,

SLOTH IS THE WAY OF DEATH.

H. W. TILMAN

HIMALAYAN EXPLORER and MOUNTAINEER

This is a nautical poem that I wrote on November 1st,  2008. 
The background music is a composition called ROUGH SEAS that I wrote back sometime in the 80's.  

During the October 1998 General Conference, President Hinckley gave a talk during the Priesthood Session where he said, "there is a portent of stormy weather ahead to which we had better give heed". In November of 2008, 10 years later, I penned this poem as the recession started to take its toll. Being a writer of nautical poetry, his words about stormy weather often echoed in my head. 


Portent: a sign or warning that something, especially something momentous or calamitous, is likely to happen.


This is me reciting the poem on youtube:
http://youtu.be/pkRoQiCZfJk

The  Face Of The Sea    J.  Brad Chapman 

As I stand at the helm and gaze out on the calm,

there’s something intriguing to me. 

That the subtlest breeze blowing over the deep, 

can change the kind face of the sea. 

From glassy to ripple and ripple to wave, 

the movement of air is so slight. 

But little by little the breeze gathers strength, 

till breakers reach dangerous heights. 

Many a seaman have awoke to the dawn 

of a beautiful, calm, cloudless day. 

Only to find as they bask in the sun, 

a storm building right in their way. 

They’d let down their guard as the sea state was mild, 

they’d forgotten how harsh it could be. 

And now with tempestuous winds gaining strength, 

they’d meet the wroth face of the sea. 

With sail unreefed and hatch unsecured, 

preparations undone or in haste. 

The sea doesn’t wait for convenience or ease, 

and they’re caught in the storm’s fierce embrace. 

The trials of life are like strengthening storms; 

we don’t notice the threat till too late. 

‘Cause we sail content on the calm seas of life, 

and we sit back and seal our fate. 

And so with the thunderous waves pounding in, 

we forget in the midst of our strife, 

that the tempest began with just one gentle breeze, 

and we learn a great lesson of life -  

We learn that a lifestyle of comfort and ease 

makes us soft and complacent and weak. 

We need that brisk wind blowing stiff in our face 

to keep us alive at our peak. 

So greet the wild gale and square up to the wind, 

prepare for the storms that may be. 

From glassy to ripple and ripple to wave, 

respect the kind face of the sea.