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The Great Expanse
Contributed by
spike
on
Wednesday, 2nd November 2005 @ 03:02:02 AM in AEST
Topic:
spiritual
|
There is, one knows not what sweet mystery about this sea,
whose gently awful stirrings seem to speak of some hidden soul beneath.
Herman Melville (sailor, author, cetaceaphile)
(Keep looking - you will see them)
The seas are quiet and restful,
No boats upon the shores
The nets are hung and drying, with
The boat sheds stacked with oars
Today there’s no collecting,
No wondering of the catch
How many will be pulled aboard
And crammed into the hatch
But Lo! another disaster,
Or accidents mundane
Or lives whose shining embers
Have finally come to wane
Or soldiers and civilians,
Consumed by endless wars
They join the other millions
Of senseless, violent cause
Now the boats are in the harbour,
Calling for their crew
All of those who labour
Know just what they have to do
The seines are at the ready,
The gear all stowed away
The measure will be heady, and
Strain the nets today.
Now the boats are weighing anchor
With so many hands on board,
Casting lines and farewells
As they finally sail abroad
They head towards the Great Expanse,
Where scores of souls now roam
Tonight the boats will haul them in,
And bring their bounty home.
Author’s note:The word "soul" in Old English sawol, possible etymological links with the old German word 'se(u)la', what means belonging to the sea (ancient Germanic conceptions involved the souls of the unborn and of the dead "living" as part of a medium similar to water).The concept of a guide/s for those souls from the land of the living to the land of the dead (or heaven/Hell) is also an iconic element of afterlife mythology, and just happen to be fishermen in this metaphor - perhaps you or I someday, after we have been, in turn drawn from the sea. I wrote the poem as a blending of the two beliefs, but I found the explanation later - the Poetry Muse is a beguiling spirit.
Copyright ©
spike
... [
2005-11-02 03:02:02]
(Date/Time posted on
site)
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Re: The Great Expanse
(User Rating: 1 )
by mrpeanut64 on
Wednesday, 2nd November 2005 @ 03:38:47 AM AEST
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a Message)
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| excellent write |
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Re: The Great Expanse
(User Rating: 1 )
by Eternal_Dreamer on
Wednesday, 2nd November 2005 @ 06:09:40 AM AEST
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a Message)
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WoW what a remarkable write. You captivate the reader from start to finish. The flow of your poem and the imagery cast is absolutely sensational. Well done.
*hugs*
Sue |
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Re: The Great Expanse
(User Rating: 1 )
by Lashing_Tongue on
Wednesday, 2nd November 2005 @ 08:36:57 AM AEST
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a Message)
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Interesting poem, but it seems fairly unlikely.
Best Wishes,
Jackie |
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