For Those in Peril on the Sea

The Lighthouse Poem
A new Prometheus, chained upon the rock,
Still grasping in his hand the fire of love,
it does not hear the cry, nor heed the shock,
but hails the mariner with words of love.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Completed in 1887 this lighthouse, located on Mosquito Inlet, was manned and operated until 1970 when an automated beacon was established on the opposite side of the channel on what is now called Ponce Inlet. Restored and maintained as an historic site and museum it continues to be the tallest lighthouse in Florida.

Lighthouses have always had a special appeal for me. Partly, I suppose, because of the romance and history of the age of sail and steam, partly because of the stories that are told and retold all along the New England coast where I spent most of my life, and partly because they seem to represent something noble, a metaphor for those willing to stand up tall and strong to face the storms and heavy seas of life and "shine out" for what is right and good.

Fair winds and following seas my friends ..... and the adventure continues.