Sailing that
trawler of dreams, shrimping, but hoping instead for a haul of permanent joy
This course
takes a good man away from pristine waters, splintering Christian actsPlacing the heart and mind within reach of dangers crippling fingers
If there is a green flash, hope to Neptune it isn’t thermo nuclear in nature
And instead, an omen that the Gods have a message for you
One that starts with tears and ends in triumphant death
The tide turns crimson, the tide runs true
And sea birds call for a stop to the chaos of men, if only to feed for a bit
But you keep grinding the shore and betting the ship and shouting your epiphanies
Bending reality until she screams in tortured wails and snaps your mutinous spine
Digging a grave at sea is easy my love….and we shall all pitch in with our golden shovels.
I love a piece which pits man against the elements. The moment you have your protagonist shouting his epiphanies, I thought, "This is downright Shakespearean!" Those final lines are nothing short of magnificent. You found so much in the initial prompt choice of "Green Flash", and there's just a splash of Captain Morgan in here too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for another off-the-wall challenge on RT. (Sorry I was too slow in adding the linky this time.)
well done...loved the man against the elements and these lines...
ReplyDeleteBut you keep grinding the shore and betting the ship and shouting your epiphanies
Bending reality until she screams in tortured wails and snaps your mutinous spine
Digging a grave at sea is easy my love….and we shall all pitch in with our golden shovels.
Very cool ending line, Corey.
ReplyDeleteI think this would read just as well if I were in a blackout and the ice in my last Uzo turned uncloudy.
ReplyDeleteI love the mixing of Classical and Christian gods at the end as we grind the shores of the sea of life! The sea birds calling for a stop so they can enjoy a meal is a perfect contrast. Gory, glorious poem. I hope it is not exactly prophetic.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous, Corey!
ReplyDeleteWow! Intense. I, too, love the golden shovels.
ReplyDeletefantastic imagery
ReplyDelete"The tide turns crimson, the tide runs true
ReplyDelete"And sea birds call for a stop to the chaos of men"
I love these lines, and the last line is wonderful, Corey. You aced the prompt, as you should have!
K
This is so cool! I love the line "but you keep grinding the shore and betting the ship and shouting your epiphanies." I know some people like that!
ReplyDeletenice, i love it. love how you weave a weird story.
ReplyDeletei've been reading SK's Insomnia so am seeing the Crimson King in this.
also: you have an errant apostrophe in line 5! get that outta there before my head explodes! :)