Photo by Vladyslav Dukhin on Pexels.com
Silent darkness arrives along the lake’s shore
Bringing beauty, but there is danger and more
Nightfall’s murkiness shrouding any potential peril
Hiding exposed reefs and shoals that may imperil
Loaded vessels silently lumber toward their destinations
Navigating through the gloom to reach their final stations
Danger lurking along a concealed shoreline in the empty dark
Demanding the skipper to plot a course so steady on its mark
A lighthouse stands alone by the shore’s breakwater
Warning of unexpected hazards so ships don’t falter
For years, Lake Erie’s travel routes have been patrolled
Providing warning lights and fog sirens, bright and bold
Numerous nighttime sentries light up along Ohio’s coast
Protecting ships and crew at locations that harbor a post
Ashtabula, Sandusky, Conneaut, Marblehead, and Lorain
Marking safe passage for crossing Erie’s shipping lanes
A misty fog blanketing the rocky shore this lonely night
Synchronizing light with sound, a lone sentinel’s might
Today’s ships cruise with improved navigational systems
Sparking too many lighthouses to decline and fall victim
Some guardians along Erie’s shore are preserved
Reminding visitors of a rich, past history to serve
Unique and fascinating designs still live to shine
Preventing accidents and calamities for all time
Big Sky Buckeye 