Ship Of Fools
Act I
The squall came swiftly,
unveiling itself with an ominous stroke.
Its dark heavy hand jabbed the ships bow,
careening the sailing vessel with a heavy handed blow.
Its murderous spray cut through the bunting with a barbarous tune.
It ripped through the sails, and brought down the rigging,
to the king plank and rails.
The Captain scowled fiercely at the gale force wind,
and made quick lash to the helm.
“Arise! Make Haste!” he cried to every able bodied man,
“The sea has summoned us, our fate is at hand.
Now lower the boom. Swiftly! Draw down the halyards, the sails we must save.
You, Helmsman, turn sharply to the wind,
Or we’ve seen our last sunrise, and the merry eyes of our wives and kin.”
The ships hands moved smartly, their stations they promptly manned.
“Stand on” called the Captain as the sea rolls and swells,
“Lest you find your time has come to pay the butchers bill.”
Each jack tar among them, a good man they may claim.
They save the main mast and top sails from being shorn,
as the vessel made its perilous way, groaning and moaning,
into the convulsing eye of the storm.
ACT II
The morning watch passes bitterly as the first bell rings one.
Hour after dreadful hour, the squall is not nearly done.
The good ship it moans and pitches with the sea,
as some meet their maker 300 fathoms deep.
But the courageous never falter, no matter how many bells toll.
The ship is awash from the main deck on down,
as the sea froth roars and gathers, casting up its salty accounts.
Two Bells… three bells…
The Masters of the Ship stand with their Captain, sturdy and strong,
while the Captain barks his orders and curses the angry sea,
challenging the lore of the Sea Gods, for outright supremacy.
The squall is as a mad man, pounding and shaking the quivering hull.
But the winds finally relent, and the stinging rains they were done,
The ship is in precarious danger, but catches a glimpse of the unveiling sun.
The squall had finally been beaten, The Captain, he had won.
O Captain, good Captain, now survey your ship,
check for the mainsail and rigging and skiffs.
Order all scuppers cleared for there’s water coming in.
But the Captain pondered deep, and marveled at the work of his hands,
and his orders, all orders, he belayed.
From the depths of his soul bubbled forth a new found belief,
“I am now Lord of the Ocean, there is no one like me...”
ACT III
It was not until that moment, that the ship became undone.
For each man jack among them knows the Law of the Sea,
and that no ship can survive a "Law unto Me".
But the Captain did not recant and believed all the more,
That he commanded the wind and the waves and the storm.
He had fought the squall tyrant and brought it to its knees
Inheriting his place amidst the immortal “Gods of the Sea.”
Before his thoughts could retreat as an unfortunate ruse
From the bowels of the mortified ship, the prison doors broke loose.
Up the main hatchway came a rumbling, bumbling, bevy of fools.
One by one each fool joined him, on the privileged upper deck.
startling the Captain, who greeted them coarsely with clenched fist.
But sizing them up, he found their coming opportune, so he did not resist,
and detailed them he, to oust his faithful crew, from the active list.
The second in command, his Lieutenant did protest.
But the fool named Illogic shouted, “You’ve now been out-ranked,
your wisdom is irrelevant, now walk the main plank!”
The good shipping crew was taken aback.
They had weathered the storm, but could they weather the man,
when the Lieutenant, full of wisdom,
was no longer at his right hand?
The Master at Arms pleaded, “Good Captain, My Captain, remember your vow,
And remember your faithful crew who still serve with you now.
And remember the courage of those who have stood by your side,
Not one of these fools will save you, when the sea wraiths come for your life.”
But the fool named Deception countered his speech,
and convinced those of weak mind, to throw the Master at Arms,
full of courage and truth, into the sea.
ACT IV
The ship was now imperiled, as new rules were put in place.
To the bungs, the chips, the holder and the mate,
A new law was professed, “bow to these fools, or meet your perilous fate.”
But standing fast, the Quarter Master would not repeal the true “Law of the Sea”.
So the fool named “Misdirection” declared the Quarter Master a traitor,
his authority a reproach and a man to be loosed,
and she convinced them to hang the Quarter Master by the noose.
O Captain, strange Captain, now what is the call?
Your fools have been fitted and taken their place,
they man the ships stations to your eternal disgrace.
Those left of your good crew, Discernment and Understanding, call for this;
“Your madness is uncalled for, now repent and desist!”
But the fools do converge, and overboard more are thrown,
and the remainder are made bow before the holystone.
ACT V
The ship is adrift, her countenance knocked about,
pleading for repair after the treacherous squall.
“Make way for the harbor we’ll find more chips there,
they’ll fancy her up and make her gait fair.”
O Captain, can you sail her now that your crew is bare bone?
“We’ll make for the harbor and summon all our kin,
for where one fool is found, more will want in.”
“Now, lift up your eyes, see, safe harbor is near,
follow the buoy's close, and the dry dock do clear.
Make over the reeling ship to the eager yard crews,
While our posts we abandon and all our chores too
There we’ll search out the eager masses to find folly’s anew.”
But they need not go far, for when you’re a fool,
It is folly that finds you.
Two fortnights pass by as the chips, the sailmakers, and the bungs,
their craft they have applied, their work is now done.
But the good ship is in peril, she’s not worthy for the sea.
The giddy fools have replaced the main mast with… a living tree!
They’ve changed the mighty King Spoke to south, from due north.
And the ever reliable lodestar now points to Orion’s knee.
Those sneaky little fools have even changed the cardinal points, off just a single degree.
O Captain, Lord Captain, do survey your ship.
Examine the work of these giddy dim wits.
For these fools run the bowline, and hang from the masts.
From the ale kegs and gin they gorge and drink with both hands.
Were you commissioned for this when you set out from land?
O Captain good Captain what’s happened to you?
You once were the hope of the fleet and a sailing man true.
AVAST!
For there is but one Lord of the Ocean
And him you cannot supplant!
The Captain, he remembers what once used to be,
He ponders and waivers, His moral rudder longs to turn back.
But the fool named Pride chastens him severely and stiffens his back
No, his pride will not be loosed,
The Captain will not recant.
ACT V
Over the horizon the four winds gather strong.
Come North, Come South, Come East and West!
Take charge o’ eastern wind and summon your clouds,
Roil them in on ravens wings and aim for the ships bow.
O’ Ancient waters, have you not been called?
Begin now o' sea, spit and thrash, and let your righteous anger burn,
then lift your watery arms to the sky, Oh Captain have you not been warned?
From the bowels of the ocean deep, a monstrous tide doth form.
The ship is smashed with a heavy blow, it totters and heels,
another blow is delivered, cracking the fracturing keel.
Who can save the ravaged ship as it pitches in the sea?
Call out for your good men, O Captain, that their stations they may take.
But no, you’ve thrown them all overboard,
And sadly for you, no fool can take their place.
Gale force winds pound icy fists through the weakened ship's hull.
There’s water coming in, but all the fools have left their posts,
There is no breech fixed by them.
For fools run and hide when exposed, leaving each man to his own sins.
O Captain bark your orders, move quickly to save your foundering boat.
No, he’s frozen in his place, all alone, on the sea torn deck.
If only he would have built his ship upon solid ground,
It would have never become a wreck.
ACT VI
Riding on the violent waves, comes a vessel sailing fast.
The Tall Ship is enormous, its beam straight and true,
To save the foundering ship, the Great Commander risks life and crew.
“Fire off the breeches buoy! Save the foundering ship!”
The good crew is well seasoned, they obey the Commanders bark,
They fire off the breaches buoy,
Its aim does hit its mark.
O Captain, fair Captain, lift your hands to heaven and grasp the line of life.
Submit yourself to the Great Commanders call, and your foolish life He’ll save,
Or continue on your current path and meet your watery grave.
But the fools come bubbling up from the flooded decks below,
They stick their knees into the Captain’s chest and muffle the Great Commanders call.
The Captain once more bows to them, shamefully…
once again… his pride leads him to his fall and to walk the path of men.
Sadly, the waves do not relent, they crash against his face,
The timbers fall around him and seal him in his place.
The Tall Ship sails on, thwarted from imparting grace.
There is nothing more to be done,
No more options he can choose,
Now forevermore, this Captain will be afloat,
On his ship of fools.
U.Art.Known