Poster of the Charles W Morgan (a whaling ship) at Mystic Seaport. I took the photo and the poster resides in my bathroom* |
I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.
I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.
I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way, where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
*Though the photo was taken while it was propped up on the back of the sofa, so I could get a long enough focus on it.
3 comments:
Wonderful photo (reminds me of Shotley, across the water from where I used to live and where HMS Ganges, a naval trainng ship, was moored.
And wonderful poem too - that first line could almost be a credo except I merely want to be there rather than sail upon it.
And a perfectly good blue for a bathroom too!
I love this poem because (apart from ailing on it) it's exactly how I feel.
K's talking about going up to Scarborough in a few weeks if the weather improves and I really feel the need. I've not been since about last October :)
*Sailing on it, I mean!
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