Monday, July 2, 2012

Literature: Sea Fever

I must go down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a gray mist on the sea's face, and a gray dawn breaking.


I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.


I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way, where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long tick's over.

~ John Masefield, June 1, 1878 ~ May 12, 1967

Header: Moonlit Seascape by Alfred Stevens c 1892 via Old Paint

5 comments:

Timmy! said...

Beautiful poem and painting, Pauline...

Pauline said...

I thought they went together well. I just love that poem, too!

Charles L. Wallace said...

Gosh, that's nice.... evocative! Kinda captures how I feel ;-)

Pauline said...

I absolutely hear that!

Richard Page said...

As Spike Milligan once paraphrased:

I must go down to the sea again,
to the lonely sea and the sky;
I left my shoes and socks there -
I wonder if they're dry?