Three poems:6/17/19

Black Deck Tales

Three Poems

Poe's  Ravens

"Poe's Ravens!" Said Ishmael,
"Which way do we go?"
The Ravens on the rigging
Of Black Ship Liz
Rustled at their mention.
The Gulls not so much.
Ishmael stood up from the Black Deck
As Poe concluded indifferently elaborating
On veracity.
"Set the sails," Poe said,
"The Black Wind will know."
And the Ravens all flew up,
Formed an ephemeral cloud
Before the bow of Black Ship Liz
Now galloping over the Black Ocean
Beneath the storm clouded sky.

The Seahorsemen

Interminable as Poe's meanderings
Black Ship Liz sailed on and on
For days and days
Until becalmed along a long flat desert seacoast
Up against a distant snow capped mountain barrier.
"We have Ichi's Long Slender Craft in tow...Ichi?"
Said Ismael.
Ichi and Ishmael boarded Ichi's craft
And made for shore.
Nearing the backs of the curling surf,
Spray from wave curl
Blown back by a strong off shore breeze,
The ocean surface was seen populated
By fisherman astride rope bound reed floats,
The sterns squared off, the pointed bows curled up,
And shaped into dragon heads.
They bobbed about about like horsemen,
And rode the surf shoreward following,
As the Long Slender Craft
Slid up on the beach
Lined with the villagers.
The village chieftan greeted
Ishmael and Ichi,
And presented a goblet,
Narrow at the bottom, flared at top,
And decorated with designs.
In the chieftan's own hands,
He held a goblet too.
From pantomime,
Ishmael and Ichi surmised
They were all to drink together in friendship.
A villager filled the goblets
And while they drank,
Ichi noted the similarities,
The goblets designs much alike.
A difficult trade:
The Long Slender  Craft,
And Ichi,
For the goblets.
"The potion, Ichi, we still need" said Ishmael.
"Wait..."
What they had been drinking
Began to take effect.
Some more bargaining
And the brew's ingredients
Thrown into the deal as is.
"Not to fret, Ichi,
We'll be back for you!" said Ishmael.
Ichi smiled.

Escape

But a days jouney away
From the far away land
Of the Seahorsemen,
Ichi arrived beside
Blackship Liz in his craft.
"How?" Ishmael asked,
"The dolphins intervened,"
Said Ichi, smiling,
"And just in time!"

DolphinWords