ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

TALL SHIPS
Maureen Clifford © The #ScribblyBark Poet


The window of opportunity was small
Either go or stay – the door was open
but make a choice - now.

And so here they were on the open ocean
sailing under the starlight,
suffering the nightly terror of the unknown.

Listening to the whale songs
echoing eerily through the wooden hull
and feeling the pitch and roll of their 'Young Endeavour'

The whales were busy making waves
and fish fragranced frothy fountains
in their nightly frolics around the vessel.


But a window in time had opened for them.
In daylight hours their fears flew away
like the white doves from Noah's ark.

They gloried in the sparkling reflection of sunlight
and drifting shadows of clouds
the clean clear salty air.

The slap of canvas on the rigging,
sheer exhilaration of speed under sail.
At one with nature – wind, water and whales.

While Bottle nosed dolphins surfed the bow wave.

and a swish of the waves in those " fish fragranced frothy fountains "


There's a famous story about the English poet, Keats being entranced by Edmund Spenser's use of the phrase " the sea-shouldering whale "

I love whales - have had some amazing experiences with them in the past.