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Whither The Fates Carry
Whither The Fates Carry
Anchors aweigh in 1609, Anno Domini!
A convoy of ships laden with cargo set sail,
And departed Plymouth harbour to cross the Atlantic
For Jamestown, Virginia in the New World.
But a hurricane wreaked havoc in the Sargasso
Pitching and rolling the vessels in the maelstrom.
The flagship Sea Venture struggled to stay course
Until separated from the others by the storm.
This being her maiden voyage and timbers not set
The stricken ship took on water during the tempest.
And the crew and passengers bailed till exhaustion;
“Whither the fates carry!” on a sea of sargassum.
When Admiral Somers sighted the Virgineola coastline,
And ran the Sea Venture onto a reef near to Gates Bay,
Between the Isle of Devils and the open water;
And not a castaway lost as they settled on Somers Isles.
Within years, the Sea Venture was stripped
And then quietly slipped into the depths.
Today she is depicted in Bermuda’s Coat of Arms,
On a shield battling the storm held by a Red Lion.
Copyright ©
Dennis Spilchuk
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