06-10-2017, 08:23 PM
The wildest seas had risen up the night that Donny died.
Close running to the western gales and on an awkward tide,
the Gina Belle had tumbled on
her stern was low, her going gone.
The tumult turned her round and round,
in waves that broke on jagged ground
no more than half a league away.
The bladderwrack flew in the spray as Donny fought the wheel.
The grounding shook her, jarred her straight and pinned her by the keel;
Again, again, again she skewed
until her timbers cracked and flew
in shards that rained upon the deck,
or what was left, until she wrecked
upon the heartless granite shore.
Donny had thrown into the swell, unhitched his line, made free.
Down deep he dived in to the rage, in hopes of calmer sea;
he swam below, some distance gained,
then burst for breath while wreckage rained
around him, crashing everywhere.
The anchor hit him hard and square
and Donny died a sailor’s death.
tectak
2017
Close running to the western gales and on an awkward tide,
the Gina Belle had tumbled on
her stern was low, her going gone.
The tumult turned her round and round,
in waves that broke on jagged ground
no more than half a league away.
The bladderwrack flew in the spray as Donny fought the wheel.
The grounding shook her, jarred her straight and pinned her by the keel;
Again, again, again she skewed
until her timbers cracked and flew
in shards that rained upon the deck,
or what was left, until she wrecked
upon the heartless granite shore.
Donny had thrown into the swell, unhitched his line, made free.
Down deep he dived in to the rage, in hopes of calmer sea;
he swam below, some distance gained,
then burst for breath while wreckage rained
around him, crashing everywhere.
The anchor hit him hard and square
and Donny died a sailor’s death.
tectak
2017