Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE CAPTIVE SHIPS AT MANILA, by DOROTHY PAUL First Line: Our keels are furred with tropic weed Last Line: Out again to the blue! Subject(s): Manila, Philippines; World War I; First World War | ||||||||
OUR keels are furred with tropic weed that clogs the crawling tides And scarred with crust of salt and rust that gnaws our idle sides; And little junks they come and go, and ships they sail at dawn; And all the outbound winds that blow they call us to be gone, As yearning to the lifting seas our gaunt flotilla rides, Drifting aimless to and fro, Sport of every wind a-blow, Swinging to the ebb and flow Of lazy tropic tides. And once we knew the clean seaways to sail them pridefully; And once we met the clean sea winds and gave them greeting free; And honest craft, they spoke us fair, who'd scorn to speak us now; And little craft, they'd not beware to cross a German bow When yet the flag of Germany had honor on the sea. And now, of all that seaward fare, What ship of any port is there But would dip her flag to a black corsair Ere she'd signal such as we! Yet we are ribbed with Norseland steel and fleshed with Viking pine, That's fashioned of the soil which bred the hosts of Charlemagne; And clad we are with rusting pride of stays and links and plates That lay within the mountain side where Barbarossa waits -- The mighty Frederick thralled in sleep, held by the ancient sign, While yet the ravens circle wide Above that guarded mountain side, Full fed with carrion from the tide Of swinish, red rapine! Oh, we have known the German men when German men were true, And we have borne the German flag when honor was her due; But sick we are of honest scorn from honest merchant-men -- The winds they call us to be gone down to the seas again -- Down to the seas where waves lift white and gulls they sheer in the blue, Shriven clean of our blood-bought scorn By a foeman's flag -- ay, proudly borne! Cleaving out in the good red dawn -- Out again to the blue! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...D'ANNUNZIO by ERNEST HEMINGWAY 1915: THE TRENCHES by CONRAD AIKEN TO OUR PRESIDENT by KATHARINE LEE BATES THE HORSES by KATHARINE LEE BATES CHILDREN OF THE WAR by KATHARINE LEE BATES THE U-BOAT CREWS by KATHARINE LEE BATES THE RED CROSS NURSE by KATHARINE LEE BATES WAR PROFITS by KATHARINE LEE BATES THE UNCHANGEABLE by EDMUND CHARLES BLUNDEN THE THRESHING-FLOOR by DOROTHY PAUL |
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