This adventure poem should be read while listening to
Yanni's "Song for Antarctica."... to set the mood.
Author Notes: This is the story of a whaling ship which will not return from the Arctic Wastes which it enters. It takes place in the late 1800's and the story is continued in my poem Dog Town, which takes place in Dogtown, Massachusetts. I wrote this long before I read the true story of the Ship "Endurance". Which is one heck of a Adventure book and all true. I wrote this from the aspect of a young man just setting out on his first voyage with a seasoned crew surrounding him. These are his reflections....
Free Music | Free Song For Antarctica ringtone at EZ-Tracks.com
Now enter the grave of the damned....
Damned Are We
North we’re bound our fortunes to seek,
with sails tightened and timber creak.
Our keels strong as is our will,
we’ve an ocean to cross and whales to kill.
Tis, not a voyage for the landlubbing meek.
Tis, whalin’ we’ll be and their blubber we seek.
We must be bold and cautious in our quest,
keeping a sharp watch from the crows nest.
Dangers and obstacles, and hazards abound,
storms, reefs, and running aground.
Fear will never alter our course,
greed drives us, a more powerful force.
The pilots sextant will mirror the star,
and Polaris to guide us a beacon from afar.
For each pound of flesh, each gallon of oil,
we intend to shed whales blood til the oceans boil.
A full hole means a full coffer,
an equal share the Captain’s offer.
“The Sea!” “The Sea!”, We plod on course,
and slowly we enter the ice burgs source.
But where are the whales we came to kill,
nary a one only the frost of winters deep chill.
Up up to the shores of the sunless sea
and the inky black of midnight day.
Where sunshine is something we may never see
and the cold and ice hold chilling sway.
Here a shroud of snow extracts a travelers fee
and Natures tempest buries the brave.
Deeper and deeper, so deep our bones start to freeze,
the cold pours in and our muscles seize.
“Too Far!” “Too Far!” We realized today.
Greed has driven us too far to save!
Now, damned are we to an icy grave
by a wind so cold it steals our breath away.
For now we are becalmed in a solid sea,
the likes of which, I hope, you’ll never see.
From hell itself the wind doth blow
stabbing at us across the frozen ice flows.
“Please God!” “Open a fissure for me!”
“Split the ice as far as the open sea!”
Or if thou willith its here we will die
an entire ship of frozen corpses, my mates and I.
No fire will burn nor lantern long light
these frozen expanses cloaked in the Devils night.
The riggin’s alight with St Elmo’s fire
casting a pall on our situation dire.
The temperature has plummeted below the scale
without the sun none shall live to tell the tale.
“Oh Lord!” “Why have thou forsaken me
and abandoned us all in this unforgiving sea?”
Now the end is near I feel its icy touch.
“Please God!” “Stop our suffering, is it asking so much?”
“Will future explorers discover our frozen bait,
will they then share a similar fate.”
“Or will an Indian Summer brings us to rot
and Polar Bears and Flies gnaw us to naught.”
“Will our lost souls howl in the wind
enticing others towards the same end.”
An eternity afloat above the briny blue
encased in a frozen sarcophagus, preserved like new.
“Travelers!” “Beware our frozen tomb.”
For to visit is to stay, your life ended too soon.
The ice splits and shifts over an angry sea
then freezes, trapping all,
unceasingly.
Author's Questions/Comments
Long before I heard of the ship Endurance, which suffered such a fate, I wrote this poem over a period of two years. I hope it provides a measure of insight into the horror that can be experienced at Mother Nature's whim....
*(If your interested in reading more about this story, visit this link for the book: www.anitadiamant.com/newfiction.htm )
Terms:
Keel - the main beam of a ship.
Coffer - the place where, usually the Captain kept his gold.
Landlubbing - Slang for people who live and work on land.
Crow's Nest - Small circular platform mounted high on a mast.
Mast - the tall timbers which support the sails of a ship.
Sextant - used to guide the direction taken by comparing readings from the stars.
Midnight Day - the Arctic experiences 6 months constant daylight and 6 months night.
St Elmo's Fire - a very unusual static electricity discharge that causes a faint greenish glow in the rigging of a ship at sea. Often the cause of superstition and religious "damned are we" kind of reactions.
The constant motion of the Polar Ice Cap, due to storms at sea, which causes it to break and fracture, would prevent a frozen vessel from ever being discovered instead it would grind such a vessel into bits and consume it, but its certainly a good story ending.
Comments from Poets:
Dear me, this is indeed outstanding over all, the imagery you paint, the thoughts are vivid. Words are beyond my praise. A master piece, could well be a true classic in many years yet to come. Sincerely. ChrisRobin on Jan 04, 2004, 2:42 p.m.
Leaving little footprints in hearts 2682 critiques, 0 poems. said:
Verdict: A masterpiece
Autumn Falls on Jan 04, 2004, 3:28 p.m. - I shall live forever, or die trying! - 1355 critiques, 107 poems. said: |
twistedpisces on Jan 05, 2004, 8:57 The pain means u r alive & the tears mean you care 865 critiques, 291 poems. said: Verdict: Wonderful |
RainbowQueen on Jan 05, 2004, 4:41 p.m. Enjoy life. You never know when it will end! 528 critiques, 105 poems. said: |
Lo Justin on Jan 06, 2004 I 1461 critiques, 30 poems. said: Verdict: very well done |
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Deja Vu on Jan 06, 2004 Booga booga booga! shrugs? what else to write? 301 critiques, 50 poems. said: Verdict: good job |
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miamigirl on Sep 15, 2004, 2:50 p.m. 717 critiques, 33 poems. said: Verdict: An Epic |
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mistic moonlite on Sep 29, 2005, 6:11 p.m. Family&Friends,in world that you can trust 3757 critiques, 484 poems. Currently online. said: |
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DK akaLunaticSerene on Oct 12, 2005, 6:12 p.m. You create your reality with your expectations. 445 critiques, 56 poems. said: Verdict: Awesome! |