The Eye of the Sea - Part 3
Continued from The Eye of the Sea part 2
The heaving swell and the waves from hell
Soon swamped our valiant vessel,
With the holds in flood: tattered sails above,
We were in the direst of peril.
In a meet with the Captain, we lobbied the Chaplain,
Imploring him, ‘talk to the lord!’
Then came from his cabin a babbling of Latin,
Not that it did much good.
But one was at odds, worshipped Older Gods,
‘of Heath then!’ he proudly proclaimed,
As we started to falter he knelt at his altar
Beseeching his deity’s aid.
And from the crow’s nest the lookout impressed
Us all with his hawklike vision:
‘There’s rocks to the west; to the east the tempest;
But an island is on the horizon!’
The storm took our baggage, our yacht badly damaged,
We’d lost Pierre, Stint and O’Howell,
So we stopped for repairs, for provisions and spares
On the mystical Island of Flowers.
We lazed in the sun, while the work was done
By artisans, artists and slaves,
We stayed for three weeks, encamped on the beach,
Though we’d only planned a few days.
The lack of strife with the island life,
Had seduced us each and all:
Good food and wine, the living was fine
Hell’s teeth, we were having a ball!
The sun was high in a Simpson’s sky,
The waves were lapping the shore,
The Sinner prayed to the Gods he’d made,
‘The same tomorrow, but more!’
But the Captain was gravid, ‘too long have we tarried,
Needs must we be headed west,
By the next sunset, we’ll have all hands on deck,
Tomorrow we resume our quest!’
But two crewmen were missing, O’Leary and Griffin,
When it came to signing aboard,
They’d run to the hills with a couple of girls,
Desiring to travel no more.
THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS ON THE EQUATOR.
‘Ye mutinous dogs, I’ll catch ye by God,’
The skipper was fury and gall,
‘I’ll be back with hounds to hunt ye down,
Then I’ll have ye both keel hauled!’
So we left the port, clear five men short
But confident in our proficiency,
We shortened the cloth and doubled the watch,
Which tripled our efficiency.
But the five adrift were sorely missed
The strain was beginning to tell,
The Captain noticed and said to the Bosun:
‘This quest b’aint be goin’ so well!’
And the sinner prayed to the Gods he’d made,
‘Please see us through this mess!’
But his tremulous tears fell upon deaf ears,
And we stayed divinely unblessed.
Then a shrouding sea mist, apparition kissed
Emerged from the waters calm,
With eerie cries of torment and strife
And windblown ethereal forms.
Continued on The Eye of the Sea part 4
Copyright © Simon Cooper | Year Posted 2014
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