’Twas a clear breeze which came with the glowing light of dawn
And the gulls’ calls brought a rising hope
The crew slowly began waking
To assess the damage.
Rigging had been rent,
And sails torn
Yet my masts still stand strong
And my prow still holds tight.
‘Ahoy! Land ahoy!’
Cries rise from them all
Riding over cresting wave
We glimpse the horizon’s dark speck.
The ice is cleared and the knots are freed,
The hatches flung open
And the stalls cleaned,
The cool chill air of Autumn pours through.
Hark! Something rubs the hull!
From below decks comes the word
The captain’s frame becomes rigid
Terror lurks from the watery depths.
‘Set sail!’
Movement explodes before the command even ends
The wind fills them and we begin to surge forward
Murmured prayers arise in the name of the sea.
We forge through the choppy waves
Yet there is another touch,
And another, and another!
A tentacle feels at my keel.