Lightship Mentoring - mauriceling/mauriceling.github.io GitHub Wiki

I do not call the ships to me
I let them cross the open sea
A signal cast both near and far
Not chasing them for who they are
Some come with charts already drawn
Some drift in fog from dusk till dawn
I do not steer I do not bind
I hold a light to shape the mind
For those who act and then return
With sharper questions left to learn
I give them less and watch them grow
For thought refines when left to flow
For some the storms are deep within
No map no compass held in skin
I sound the horn I mark the reef
But cannot take away their grief
And some just pass and never stay
Yet still the light was cast their way
No count is kept of ships that leave
No claim on what they choose believe
The work is not in guiding all
But holding steady through the call
Anchored yet free to shift the frame
The light remains though none may name
And if one vessel finds its way
Then all the nights have earned their day
— 30/03/26

Commentary: This poem mirrors my lightship philosophy of mentoring: (i) Non-interventionist stance. “I do not steer I do not bind” reflects my move away from controlling or directing outcomes. (ii) Selective depth. The lines about those who “act and then return” capture my idea of high-potential mentees—those worth deeper investment. (iii) Acceptance of limits. The stanza on storms within is clearly about cases recognizing boundaries without guilt. (iv) Non-attachment to outcomes. “No count is kept of ships that leave” aligns with my realization that loss of contact can still be success. (v) Steady presence over activity. The core idea is not doing more but being consistent and available as signal. (vi) Sufficiency of impact. The ending reflects my current phase—impact is not measured by scale but by meaningful alignment, even if rare.