Shipwreck

If once the long ago closed in to a present cloudy sky, shifting into storm, crashing aground

Then truly there was spoken a word, maybe unheard, of the sea under sun's halo and moon's crown

Outside the shores of Ebura, the sunken mast cracks and seagull sleeps and in silence, awakes

Inside the cover of night and shadow, the waters carry to deeper keeps, and even deeper gates

But the gateway reveals hidden ships, whether the storm took them or they sailed up from the south

We'll go into uncharted land from uncharted seas, in a vessel made of leaf and twine, wood and vine

Raising sails against the winds, of stature so strong, a gentle whisper yet powerful is the ocean's song

With the waves wild and gray, the uncharted way, a log of pages written henceforth of heroes drowned

 

Dazzling mirage of luminous waters that drenched the abandoned ruins of sand in the north

The sails lowered, and drifting ship to coast toward the distant grey sharply peaks offshore

Magnetic pull of pole upward and afar, winds heedless and gathering speed like a shooting star

Ocean's surface carrying the ill-fated drifting oar, and traces have moved many degrees from bar

The mantle of sea floor, and the shield of coral lines the reef of seagull call, heard on the waves

Back from an age we yet lived, a different world underwater, seen down below watery graves

The silent chambers given to the lure of the blue, smitten and sunken, with a finality of high sea

Drifting signs of abandoned ship and left to fall the loose yardarm twice repaired, 'ere the eve

Hidden from sunlight, and the stir of oncoming wakes made by salty mist and whispering rain

Undercurrent surge distorted the secret, flooded wooden plank, spar shattered, rendered unmade

Ill winds, vast cold valley smooth, held fast the sense of doom and following upon lofty sails

Starboard lanterns aligned, a torn sail defied the freak storm to harbors where low sun dwells

And on the port side, anchor, bell and wheel shifted over gateway, the passage can be used again

If ship's features can be moved by shifted tides, passing through knowing when, encountered then

The tide is how time was designed in ancient days, and will turn back between dune and space

In hourly flight, navigate while deep under with silvery eyes, drawn into the current's pace

Guardians of trench and underworld watch from each point of their compressed ocular scope

The sea has placed itself over basins bottomless afloat, and still sunken ship settled over a slope

The wave now broken, glimpse a dense hiatus close to the shore of airy realm, it is known

The ship was in distress from even before, long ago, the damaged vessel creaked and moaned

And water realm took more than day for night of the sand, and sails with, upon ghostly helm

Wherever seagulls soar and disappeared in isle's mead, is a place subdued by earthly shell

A mirror of ocean reflect a world combined of heavens overhead, the ship rests but on this side

By chance, sailed into storm never to emerge from under a dark vaguely blue shadow, they hide

 

Yet one can find the drifting pieces of a tale, long since dead, beckon with murmuring low tides

Hear the way of sky in a calm shade, to turn gusty and to the call of night, and heed lost seasides

The starlight over quiet depths, and the shipwreck is washed away in hues of blue and white

Settling further out to deeper drop offs, the shipwreck floats under typhoon, with open deadlight

And off the coasts of scorched sand and summer's haze, the shore belies the lonely days upon

In the surf the trees sway, and away the ship still remains while grazing seafloor, boat long gone

Only the drifting oar, and splintered wood afloat can be seen oft times from some silent deck

As if staying, hovering in the waves, over the body of the sturdy amphora cargo of a shipwreck

©Iggy 2000