(I) The Pirate’s Dilemma
Once upon a time there lived a pirate. This pirate had a big dilemma for which he felt trapped in the middle. For all his life he had had a love for the sea – that untrustworthy space that is ever-changing – but something felt different now. The pirate felt drawn to the land, the solid floor where life is easier to contemplate; a place he knew what was going on beneath his feet. He felt he could trust the land much more.
The pirate sat alone in his cabin; his ship swayed with the tide as it pushed him closer to the shoreline. He didn’t know what to do. For the land and sea were friends, he couldn’t afford to cause friction between them. The sea is easy to anger, it holds a jealous lust to engulf everything and eat away at the land as it wishes; it was something the pirate didn’t want to hurt for he had once truly loved the sea. Despite this, the pirate knew deep within his heart that his life at sea had come to an end, and it hurt him; he knew that he would be tempted to ship across the sea’s troubled surface again, but knew that if he gave in it would eventually tear him apart. Yes, the pirate was drawn to the land.
As his ship drew closer to the port, the land released a deep sigh for it knew that the sea would hate it for wanting the pirate to live on its surface. The pirate heard the fears of the land and anchored his ship in the swallowing waters. How was he meant to deal with these feelings? He was drawn to the land, yet had once loved the sea. The land and sea, two friends who could become enemies because of his decision. The pirate looked out his cabin’s window. The sun was setting. His dilemma incomplete, he went to bed.
(II) The Pirate’s Dilemma is Solved
After a good night of sleep, the pirate woke at the crack of dawn. He looked out of his cabin window. He was happy; he knew what he wanted to do. He had lost all interest in the sea; he was no longer tempted to voyage out across its surface. The pirate wanted to set his feet upon the land and he didn’t care what the sea felt about that.
Yes, the sea may be angry at his decision; yes, it may hate him for it. These, however, were of little concern of to the pirate; he was looking forward to the future, not backwards at the past. The land was uncharted territory for him, it would hold new challenges and hopes. The pirate was determined that he would get on with the land in harmony.
His boat approached the harbour. This was a new beginning; a new adventure.
(III) The Pirate’s Solution Implodes
The pirate made a fucking big mistake thinking he could trust anyone.
The Pirate’s Dilemma was published on Dominic Lyne’s Tales of the Disconnected between 26 September 2004 and 29 September 2004.