The Odyssey

I went to ask the oracle,
Far across the water,
For a drop of fire.

The journey was long,
The waves quite tall,
The sun, shadowed.

Three masts sky high,
Full sails unfurled,
The ship pulled the wind.

Then came a hurricane,
Clash of vessel on jagged rock,
The sea, lightning and rain.

Save from drowning fast,
Water rushing, gushing in,
Man overboard, broken mast.

Sailing ship sunken,
Swimming into the sea,
Deep and cerulean-green.

Blood-red and shrill
Rose the morning sun,
Adrift across the water.

Sharks circling underneath,
Black eyes and razor-teeth;
Clutch what once was tree.

Floating on the surface,
Looking deep beneath,
Alone, aware, and unafraid.

For ten and seven days,
Saw not land, man, or bird,
Lost somewhere unknown.

On the dawn of ten and eight,
Awoke, did he, upon a beach,
Firm ground under his feet!

Fruit and fish in plenty to eat,
Virgin forests of ancient trees,
A new ship, he would need.

With an axe of sticks and stones,
Quite quickly, it was built,
Seaworthy, tried and true.

Watching the crimson sunset,
Facing the endless sea,
Tomorrow, he would leave.

Poseidon’s rage relinquished
By the sacrifice of island lamb,
The fisherman’s son set sail again.

East, into the rising sun,
Full hull of grapes and meat,
Ready for anything, even defeat.

Now twenty days on,
At peace with sky and sea,
Who and he have realized Me.

The oracle, I feel, has died,
Still, sail on do I,
For I have found myself.


When I get to where I’m going,
Eyes closed, heart stopped,
I won’t need fire anyways.