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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Robert Louis Stevenson
Christmas at Sea
The sheets were frozen hard, and they
Cut the naked hand;
The decks were like a slide, where a
Seaman scarce could stand,
The wind was a nor`- wester, blowing
Squally off the sea;
And cliffs and spouting breakers
Were the only things a-lee.
They heard the surf a-roaring before
The break of day;
But `twas only with the peep of
Light we saw how ill we lay.
We tumbled every hand on deck
Instanter, with a shout,
And we gave her the maintops`l,and
Stood by to go about.
All day we tack`d and tack`d between
The south head and the North;
All day we haul`d the frozen sheets,
And got no further forth;
All day as cold as charity, in
Bitter pain and dread,
For very life and nature we tack`d
From head to head.
We gave the south a wider berth,
For there the tide race
Roar`d;
But every tack we made we brought
The North Head close aboard;
So`s we saw the cliffs and houses,
And the breakers running high,
And the coastguard in his garden,
With his glass against his eye.
The frost was on the village roofs
As white as ocean foam;
The good red fires were burning
Bright in every longshore
Home;
The windows sparkled clear, and
The chimneys volley`d out;
And I vow we sniff`d the victuals
As the vessel went about.
The bells upon the church were
Rung with a mighty jovial cheer;
For it`s just that I should tell
You how (of all days in the year)
This day of our adversity was
Blessed Christmas morn,
And the house above the coastguard`s
Was the house where I was born.
O well I saw the pleasant room,
The pleasant faces there,
My mother`s silver spectacles, my
Father`s silver hair ;
And well I saw the firelight, like
A flight of homely elves go dancing
Round the china-plates that stand
Upon the shelves!
And well I knew the talk they had,
The talk that was of me, of the
Shadow on the household and the
Son that went to sea;
And O the wicked fool I seemed`d,
In every kind of way, in every
Kind of way, to be hauling frozen
Ropes on blessed Christmas Day.
They lit the high sea-light, and
The dark began to fall, all hands
To lose all top-gallant sails!`
I heard the captain call.
By the lord, she`ll never stand it,`
Our first mate jackson cried,
`It`s the one way or the other,
Mr.jackson,`he replied.
She staggere`d to her bearings, but
Her sails were new and good,
And the ship smelt up to the
Windward just as thou she
Understood.
As the winter`s day was ending, in
The entry of the night, we clear`d
The weary headland and pass`d
Below the light.
And they heav`d a mighty breath,
Every soul on board but me,
As they saw her nose again pointing
Out to sea;
But all I could think of, in the
Darkness and the cold, was just
That I was leaving home and my
Folks were growing old.
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His broad clear brow in sunlight glow'd;
On burnish'd hooves his war-horse trode;
From underneath his helmet flow'd
His coal-black curls as on he rode,
As he rode down to Camelot.
From the bank and from the river
He flash'd into the crystal mirror,
"Tirra lirra," by the river
Sang Sir Lancelot.
Her
