Elms along an opal sea - pipTalk Forums

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Kevin Taylor
Member

since 1999-12-23

Posts 185
near Vancouver, BC, Canada

0 posted 2001-11-01 05:58 PM

Shhhh...

-I-

By lanterned dory, morning tide
And cry of gulls - kyrie kyrie
With oar on gunwales sounding roll
The village fishers flocked to sea

And as the wisp rose from meadow rose
As village folk to meet the day
The women with their work began
Above the shore their children played

Among the branches of an elm
Where wind and faeries dance or dwell,
They launch there fleets of castle-ships
With pirate-kings at every helm

That day, one boy, above the rest,
First mate and king to all below,
While looking out with eyes grown wide,
Ahoy! He hailed. Ahoy! A boat!

The women, from nets hung, unmended,
Turned as one toward the bay.
There, in the sunlight on the sea
Beyond the faerie elm, she lay.

-II-

The ship was golden, rigging foreign:
Ensign, sail - of hoary hue
That caught the sun and billowed her
Across a glitter sea of blue

And not one soul was seen upon her
Not one soul would venture there
The village held it's breath in beauty
Not a whisper creased the air

The sun began to wane to crescent
Stars appeared to guide the way
Still the ship swam still and silent
Still the morning village lay

-III-

And as the sun drew from its light
O'er silver skirted seas of slate
That day that God had twice divided
Saw her shadowed sun too late

Over water - wind and fury
Anchored under sky of stone
The village held its breath in fear
The sea might wash their fishers home

Lightning flashed across more lightening
Thunder sounded near and nearer
A woman prayed above the din
For all, Almighty God might hear her

But never was there ever answer
Nor for that foreign flag that flew
Undefended under heaven's
Purling skies of slate and blue

-IV-

As final trace of evening sky
On opal-embered seas was cast
With rigging lit by Elmo's choirs
She left the sea alone at last

-V-

Now, sleepy village children sleep
And dream your fathers. Dream of me...
Of slip and shingle sounding surf...
Of elms along an opal sea...

Shhhh...

nakdthoughts
Member Laureate

since 2000-10-29

Posts 19200
Between the Lines

1 posted 2001-11-01 06:22 PM

sooooo peaceful..I enjoyed it this evening

thank you,
~Wynter

"For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart.
It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul."
(J.Garland)

Martie

Moderator

Member Empyrean

since 1999-09-21

Posts 28049
California

2 posted 2001-11-01 06:26 PM

kevin...your title drew me into read, and I'm so glad it did. You wrote an awesome tale ..the imagery, the flow..just great!

Dark Angel
Member Patricius

since 1999-08-04

Posts 10095

3 posted 2001-11-02 07:49 AM

Hi Kevin, I loved the title and I loved the poem....wonderfully written! Had me hooked!

Maree

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