There is not much to see in the middle of the Atlantic

Moderate seas with a stiff breeze and clear skies

No whales jumping

No passing ships

Just the gentle waves bumping into the ship’s wake

I sat on my balcony reflecting on life

Being on a cruise relieves you from the daily chores of the real world

Gifting you with an abundance of free time to do as you wish

I had been to the gym

Devoured a hearty breakfast

Attended a very interesting history lecture

It was my time to do nothing

Staring over the ocean from my private balcony

Suddenly a bird appeared flying parallel to the ship

He was maybe a few hundred feet away

A large bird battling the headwind

Darting and swooping to stay on course

I suspected he saw me on my balcony

He veered closer to get a better look

Flying maybe 50 feet from the ship

He stayed level with me for a minute or so

I tried to imagine what he was thinking

I have been flying for ages since leaving the east coast of America

There is still a long way to go before I can land in Africa

Its hard work battling this headwind but I will keep going

Its lonely out here on my own

Nobody is carrying me along like you

Nobody is feeding me or entertaining me all day

I don’t sleep in a comfortable bed

I just keep battling these headwinds for days on end

While you sit on a balcony doing nothing at all

Be grateful for what you have and for what others do for you

Use your time wisely and never forget that there are others who struggle daily just to survive

Be humble and remember this encounter

I gave him a wave to acknowledge receipt of his message

He immediately veered away and picked up the pace to pass the ship

I tried to imagine how hard it must be to fly solo for 3,000 miles over the ocean

I would not swap places with him

I doubt if he would we want my life either

I hoped he reached land safely

I decided to skip lunch

I spent the afternoon watching the waves and thinking about my life

Then I felt hungry and hit the buffet hard

Food coma induced dreams soon followed

I was a bird flying solo over the Atlantic ocean

I spotted a cruise ship and flew closer to take a look

Just a bunch of dumb humans being ferried to Africa

They mostly looked overfed and lazy

One of them was looking at me from his balcony

I flew closer to get a look at him

I wondered what he was thinking