Deep! In The Fierce Blue Yonder Poem by Martin Dyke

Deep! In the fierce blue yonder
Where brave men fear to go.
Where the mind even fears to ponder
The water's your ultimate foe.
Where water drowns life into memories
Where water is salty and dead.
Where water is all that the eye sees
Where water, though blue, is but red.
This is where the heart dreads
This is where the ship heads.

'Avast, cowards! Ye fear to die?
Ye assembled spineless thieves
I'm your captain Blackeye
And today's when our vessel leaves.
Though ye fear, I know, the going
A desert of water and doom
I will pay ye gold for the rowing
And I'll guarantee ye ample room.
Come now- are ye men indeed?
Come show the blooming of yer mortal seed.'

The man is tall and the man is black
With words like a devil's whip
He wins them with their doubting.
They climb upon his ship.
And though they all feel terror
They pay it no tongue; neither lip.
They sign up- courageous! - for hell's outing-
And let the mask not slip.

Into hell departs the boat of the fallen.
And from hell shall none return.