Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, SATURDAY NIGHT AT SEA, by JOHN GARDINER CALKINS BRAINARD


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

SATURDAY NIGHT AT SEA, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: A mother stood by the pebbled shore
Last Line: "pledge gayly back in ruddy wine."
Subject(s): Sailing & Sailors; Seamen; Sails


A MOTHER stood by the pebbled shore,
In her hand she held a bowl--
"Now I'll drink a draught of the salted seas
That broadly to me roll! --
On them I have an only son,
Can he forget me quite?
O! if his week away has run,
He'll think of me this night
And may he never on the track
Of ocean in its foam,
Fail to look gladly --kindly back
To those he left at home.
I pledge him in the ocean brine,
Let him pledge me in ruddy wine."
A sister stood where the breakers fall
In thunders, on the beach,
And out were stretched her eager arms,
For one she could not reach.
"I'll dip my hand, my foot, my lip,
Into the foaming white,
For sure as this sand the sea doth sip
He'll think of me this night.
And may he never, on the deck,
Or on the giddy mast,
In gale or battle, storm or wreck,
Forget the happy past.
I pledge him in the ocean brine,
Let him pledge me in ruddy wine."
A wife went down to the water's brink,
And thither a goblet brought;
"Here will I drink, and here I'll think
As once we two have thought.
We're romped by rock, and wood, and shore,
When moon and stars were bright,
And he, wherever the tempests roar,
Will think on me this night.
And may he ever, ever meet
With a friend as true and kind,
But not to night shall he forget
The wife he left behind.
I sip for him the ocean brine,
He'll quaff for me the ruddy wine.
A maid came down with a hasty foot--
"My lover is far at sea,
But I'll fill my cup, and I'll drink it out
To him who deserted me.
Nor mother, nor sister, nor wife, am I,
His careless heart is light--
And he will neither weep, nor sigh,
Nor think of me, this night;--
He will, HE WILL, a Sailor's heart
Is true as it is brave,
From home and love 't will no more part
Than the keel will quit the wave.
I pledge thee, Love, in ocean's brine,
Pledge gayly back in ruddy wine."





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