Ghost Ship
By FlatDaddy
I found a ship
A mighty thing it was
A massive mast that touched the sky
Every oaken plank self carved
Rigging unspoiled coiled upon the deck,
untrodden,
helm untouched,
Yet, curious, every sail was made
from castoff shirts and jackets, pants, even underclothes
of every cloth and color one might find in failing thrift shops,
tossed in heaps
upon the deck
I vowed I would reclaim her
I swore she would return
to seas both calm and rough
And yet …
No master of the sea, aye
not even wise of swabbing decks
how could I prevail?
And yet …
It called and cursed me
when I came,
laughing at my silly shoes
that slid upon the deck
So I trod barefoot,
I bore jibes and taunts,
I swore no sailors
ever would come join me
I alone would rebuild,
I alone to hold the helm,
I alone would sea this baleful beauty
No figurehead to adorn her,
Only me as sailor and Patroon, I didn’t see
All the rigging disappear, nor
the rostrum turning,
turning inward
by some spectral fashion, nor
the failures of before
sneaking from the rotting brig
to dance upon the deck.
And yet …
Still I sailed her somehow,
Still she rose and leaped across the waves
without a single sail or shroud,
without a tiller, without another,
Still I screamed and raised my Jack,
Laveered beyond my head.
And yet …
and yet …
and yet …
Will I,
Can I
Must I
Ever see the shore again?
I like the breaks of “and yet” This is great theme for this month, I enjoyed this.
Thanks, Fia. I am so glad you like the line breaks. I feel that, with certain writes, visual presentation can be important to how the piece is perceived. This is one of those.
I caught the curse vibe in this.
It slowly built up like a possession of his mind and actions
Until it turned into an obsession. I enjoyed devotion in this.
Why, thank you so much! I don’t believe we’ve met, so I would like to return the favor. Is there anything of yours in particular you are most proud of? Feel free to message me, or answer here.
This is a right good salty tale, especially so since it comes from an Air Force dude. (Makes me a bit jealous, it does) Never see the shore again? I know the feeling, but here’s a tip–if you look to that fluid horizon at night, you will often see tiny lights.
I thank you, Sam, and yes, I have seen those lights, wondered briefly what they were, a fleeting thought — but did they notice?