Holy Island, 1641

[Antcliff]

(Adapted from the words of Captain Rugg)

The common people there do pray
for ships they see in danger.
On their knees, hands held high,
they cry devotedly -
Lord, send her to us,
God, send her to us.

But if the ship comes safe to port,
they rise up from their prayer,
hands held low, devotion less,
they cry out angrily -
Let the devil spike her,
she is away from us.

[David]

A found poem, then, sort of, but with the source material deftly manipulated. I'm just not keen on "devotion less", which doesn't sound right to me.

Cheers

David

[Antcliff]

David,
Yes, a found one of sorts.
"Devotion less" is indeed wrong, quite so.

cheers..seth

[Macavity]

I thought this had an attractive neatness in its form, the language a voice from the past. That, and the title, attracted me to read the poem. I haven't researched the story, but it made me think of wreckers and the use of prayer.

mac

[Antcliff]

Ah Macavity,
yes..glad you liked form and the prayer. I ran across the tale in a text and the possibility of form+turn on prayer cried out at me. Good to know that I was not alone.
Wreckers, or at least people with a strong interest in salvage. I am reminded..

"Though shalt not kill, but need not strive
officiously to keep alive"......or close. (Apologies to Clough).

cheers...Seth.

[ray miller]

I think "devotion less" is very nice, myself, reminds me of summat, it'll come to me later. Why "comes to safe to port"?

[Antcliff]

Gosh Ray..thanks for spotting that. How could I have missed that typo? Just shows how hard it is to spot your own...

hmm..you put me in two minds about "devotion less" now. Havering..

seth

[Nash]

Nice piece Seth. I've never heard of Captain Rugg so I'm not sure how much is found, stolen or your own. But that's irrelevant really, still good.

I'm not sure about the archaic 'do' in the first line. I can see the idea but I think it would read better without it.

Cheers,
Nash.

[Antcliff]

Thanks Nash.
It is almost word for word taken from a larger extract of Mr Rugg...bits taken from a text to fit a form+turn that suddenly leapt out at me. Including the offending "do". It was his. Indeed, it may be for the best to axe it..

He was "governor"/officer in command of Lindisfarne Castle and was talking to a priest. I don't know if anything else is recorded about him.

Seth