Captain's Log

Many hath spake of the fabled song
The croon of the sirens-tho’ most are gone
But I at the helm of this desolate ship
Shall relay with affection-the rites of this trip:
T’was a rainy noon hour, when the anchor t’was drawn
With promise, good spirits, imbibed by dawn
By the sweetest of mead, our journey began
The sun, that divinity, fondly spilled on the deck
While my mates at their stations, ever dutifully crept
From chore unto task and I, at the helm
Proudly commandeered through waters of calm-

By the 7th day, each spirit at ease, only wished to appease
I, the master of sea; lo’ the dawn of day eight
Brought Poseidon’s wrath, the gods angrily bellowed,
Lightning lit one of three masts-cursed, were the whispers
That floated about-, mutiny averted by the words of a devout
Navigator, whom confessed how blessed, he spoke
That our lives were still intact and our galleon afloat
Calm returned tho’ Poseidon ensued,
The mead, forgotten-our voyage continued.

By the 11th day, hope once more flailed, akin to a fish
On the crest of a swell, however, my mates, the finest of gents
Swallowed their fears, their pride- hence unspent.
Meanwhile, I at the helm of this wondrous ship,
Whom quietly unraveled at the beginning of their quips
While at command, reprimanded their ghastly doubts,
With vehement ferocity, severing morale throughout
And tho’ they were fine, their anger their did swell
Dispirited fortunes, must fill this tale
Onward we trekked through the storm of hell-
Turn back they insisted, even the navigator’s shell
Of calm flexibility, began to disassemble
Insurrections insidious whisper ripely re-assembled.

At the height of their disdain amidst the storm
And fears of Leviathan’s indiscernible form
The sweetest of voices permeated the aire
Stirring all but I, spared of sword’s edge-
Lifeboats recklessly descended with anxiety’s care
Collapsed in the sea, with my mean in tow-
Their demise, I surmise, t’was least of all slow.
On all fours, on the deck of my galleon devoid,
Of direction, I rose ever slowly not buoyed,
By the senseless sway that rocked her about
Unto the aires, I declared: “ What t’is this about!”
At the end of understanding, my desperation pantomimed
Seeking out an answer to the senseless decline,
A lull tranquilly settled as if of distant lore,
And love filled me so, enveloping my core-
And a calmness much like a slumbering chile
Enfolded by being minus fear, loss or beguile

“I simply wish to love you…” spoke the voice of an angel
No hidden meaning to grasp or illusion to untangle
And tho’ I felt like weeping, my footfall slowly crept,
Toward the captain’s wheel, across I starboard-deck
I would like to pause, for a spell to relay
A background so to speak, of myself, should ye’ say
He was off his rocker or doomed from the start,
A year before this, shattered blatantly my heart-
Lost the presence of my loves, aye, wife and baby girl
Many months in a tavern, in a bottle did twirl
Diminished hopes, and compassions, blatantly left
The essence of living, meaningless was the breadth
And scope of life seen, through a blinded eye
T’il preparation for this voyage, neath a vaguely sober sky

Behind the wheel once more, my rightful place,
The serenity yielded unto Poseidon’s pace
“ Let me love you”, she whispered, “faithfully here at sea
Travel west my esteemed, travel fondly and devout,
Not leviathan shall harm thee, nor demon’s embark
To harm thou vessel, while I thy siren seredandes thee
Remain, stark my beloved, to these words take heed.
Honor me, and thou shall naught fall, the winds, will
Obey, and the roguest of squalls shall not find thee tempting
My love, just sail, to the west, and an isle shall reveal itself well.

Resolute in this truth, standing proudly at the helm
Prepared for either Olympus, or Hades’ wretched realm
Redirected the vessel, through the still hateful storm,
Whilst dreaming if that whisper, ev’r shorn, ev’r shorn-
Of hurt, disbelief or destitution’s bold caress
T’was absent in my being- as I traveled onward west
I know not how many times the moon awakened and slept,
Or the fates of those, who ev’r caustically left, however
There’s an isle that shall one day reveal,
The worth of this voyage, and reward my true will.
T’was only yestereve, whilst sailing’ neath the moon
That her heartfelt whisper did inquisitively croon:

Soon, my beloved-shall our souls, fondly blend, like
The sacred earth and the whimsical wind-however
I implore, fore the shore of sacred lore, unfolds unto thee,
My esteem: What drives thou being unto me?

The storm fell mute, the heavens fell still-
Before the captain’s wheel did I lovingly kneel
Before whispering: “I need you too.”

G.R. Henderson
June 18, MMIX