Ballads Of Lost Haven - A Book Of The Sea

Contents PAGE A SON OF THE SEA 7 THE GRAVEDIGGER 8 THE YULE GUEST 12 THE MARRING OF MALYN 26 THE NANCYS PRIDE 43 ARNOLD, MASTER OF THE SCUD 48 THE SHIPS OF ST. JOHN 55 THE KING OF Ys . . . 59 THE KELPIE RIDERS 68 NOONS OF POPPY 93 LEGENDS OF LOST HAVEN . 95 THE SHADOW BOATSWAIN 98 THE MASTER OF THE ISLES 104 THE LAST WATCH no OUTBOUND 116 A SON OF THE SEA I WAS born for deep-sea faring I was bred to put to sea Stories of my fathers daring Filled me at my mothers knee. I was sired among the surges I was cubbed beside the foam All my heart is in its verges, And the sea wind is my home. All my boyhood, from far vernal Bourns of being, came to me Dream-like, plangent, and eternal Memories of the plunging sea. 7 THE GRAVEDIGGER OH, the shambling sea is a sexton old, And well his work is done. With an equal grave for lord and knave, He buries them every one. Then hoy and rip, with a rolling hip, He makes for the nearest shore And God, who sent him a thousand ship, Will send him a thousand more But some hell save for a bleaching grave, And shoulder them in to shore, Shoulder them in, shoulder them in, Shoulder them in to shore. 8 The Gravedigger Oh, the ships of Greece and the ships of Tyre Went out, and where are they In the port they made, they are delayed With the ships of yesterday. He followed the ships of England far, As the ships of long ago And the ships of France they led him a dance, But he laid them all arow. Oh, a loafing, idle lubber to him Is the sexton of the town For sure and swift, with a guiding lift, He shovels the dead men down. But though he delves so fierce and grim, His honest graves are wide, As well they know who sleep below The dredge of the deepest tide. 9