A poem about our Northwest Passage Expedition by Michael Harding
Iron link
Chains clink
Anchor’s jaw
Bites Ocean floor
Half a fathom
Water chasm
High tide
Boat rise
Tide falls
Wind squall
Bone piercing
Ship Fiercing
North blowing
Sense slowing
Cold
Low shore
Earth’s core
Volcanic rock
Aftershock
Stone jumbled
Boulder tumbled
Ice gouged
Sun scoured
Shelter from
Approaching storm
Empty open
Shallow sloping
Sky reaching
Dry lichen
Snow flooded
Seaweed studded
Terns wheeling
Gulls keening
Haven from
The Polar sea
Haul the anchor
Chains a-clanker
Northwest Passage
Bound once more
Lonely ship
Cast adrift
Wind and tide
Wild ride
Rain or snow
Row the boat
Pull the oars
The only law
Arms aching
Back breaking
Hands blistered
Knees twisted
Shoulders knotted
Eyes bloodshot
Pull the oars boys
Pull the oars
Two by two
Four by four
Pull the oars
For distant shores
Baffin Bay to Bering sea
Two short months ice free
Sun high
Geese fly
Winter broken
Passage open
Row fast
Row hard
When summers past
Be on your guard
Night comes
Low Sun
Clouds, wind
Boat pinned
Sheltered bay
Must stay
Can’t fight
Arctic night
So Pull the oars boys
Pull the oars
Point the boat
To distant shores
Westwards steer
Sky is clear
Pull the oars
For distant shores.
2 Comments
Thank you Stefan and Mrs B for sharing Mike’s verses! Very atmospheric, No doubt more to be added for wailing/whaling/ bailing…..I’ve just read the blog by Stefan with the link for this. It is so incredible that you can calmly type up the account of finding the leak and the crack in the boat…wishing you a safe journey to Paulatuk for repais, and back…
We like Mike’s poem. Beautiful writing, so atmospheric. 🙂