‘Twas a shrill cry,
Far above the main sail,
That turned all eyes skyward:
An eclipse!
The three suspects,
The milling passengers
And the crew alike,
All instantly tense.
The gull which called the alert
Faltered mid-flight
And sank down with the breeze,
Silently to the icy waters.
Only the rigging continued its rhythmic rap
Accompanied by creaking deck.
The sun began her first sliver of covering
‘All below!!’
‘A sorceress?’
‘The mage!’
‘Where be my talisman?’
‘Forsaken we be!!’
As the gloom shrouds the sea
Frothy wave peaks shimmer and gleam.
Activity bursts from stem to stern,
Last Sight averts all eyes.
Gangways and stairways thrumming with frightened steps,
Sails and keel knotted tight.
Wind and sea drive us on!
I carry us true.