First Things RSS Feed - Wiley Clements https://www.firstthings.com/author/wiley-clements en-us Copyright 2025 First Things. All Rights Reserved. ft@firstthings.com (The Editors) ft@firstthings.com (The Editors) Mon, 20 Jan 2025 16:52:56 -0500 https://d2201k5v4hmrsv.cloudfront.net/img/favicon-196.png First Things RSS Feed Image https://www.firstthings.com/rss/author/wiley-clements 60 Caravel https://www.firstthings.com/article/2008/11/004-caravel https://www.firstthings.com/article/2008/11/004-caravel Sat, 01 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0400 My worn sails are lowered, flaked, and stowed below;
this prow may lift no more to the green wave’s rocking.
Though the wind blows fresh at daybreak and the beckoning
horizon draws taut my stays, I may not go.
Survivor of a hundred storms, brought home in tow,
moored to the outermost buoy, denied dry docking,
I lie condemned by a salvage agent’s ruthless reckoning
to be hauled on shore and broken up. But even so,
my Master yet may come for me, regird my timbering,
recruit a crew of hands, renew my planks and caulking,
reglobe my running lamps, set blazoned sails to my spars;
then shall I ride again on evening’s tide, remembering
how the gale’s song goes, on deck my Master walking,
Commander of the ocean seas, the winds, the stars.

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