The Eye of the Sea - Part 5

Continued from The Eye of the Sea part 4 Becalmed we were for three days more, Then the wind began to rise, At the Captain’s bidding, we set to the rigging, Eyes firmly upon the prize. But, ‘Something’s awry!’ the Bosun did say, And a muttering passed through the crew, In a sudden turmoil, the ocean boiled, Precursor to terrors anew. From the water’s depths, with foetid breath, A demon arose just astern, Its torso aflame betrayed its true name, As it casted for souls to burn. This demon of the ninth gate was evil incarnate, Lived backwards to prove its worth, And hunted its prey the easy way: His fields were the entire earth. With sombrous skin, obsidian, With glinting claws and eyes, Cracking its whip it crippled the ship, Delivering all to the flies. Now our boat was built clinker, difficult to sink her, In truth she was very well made, But the force of the whip fair split the ship, And left all the rigging in flames. Rent asunder she started going under, The waters heaved ominously, All started prayin’ their souls to be savin’, In the dark of the South China Sea. Slowly she foundered as the sea rose around her, Subliming her into the waves, Some cracked liquor pots an’ some farthings of flotsam, Sum totalled her earthly remains. The demon sneered as the ship disappeared, Dragged steaming beneath the waves. With joy it roared for the terror caused And the souls of sailors unsaved. Just I survived, adrift but alive, By luck and nothing more, Through sober and storm, I came to no harm, And woke up here on the shore.” Continued on The Eye of the Sea part 6