The Siren Sings To A Sailor Poem by Lorraine Margueritte Gasrel Black
The Siren Sings To A Sailor
Restless as the surf and tide beneath the seas you rest
Lorelei chains you to her breast, felled midstride your quest
Her treasure trove the lure, net laden of her fruit
Alone you dare the angry sea a victim of her flute
The tempest throws her furied might, claims your soul this night
She holds you in her pirate's chain, the wind blows cold and high
Homeward bound you set your sails, she combed her hair for you
I know who your heart loves best: your spirit in the tide
Deep beneath the waves you hide claimed by her domain
No epitaph on a stormy grave erased in a sea of time
Spent the wind has died, herself, the sea is calm at last
Your spirit haunts and rides the tides, sons follow in your past;
Laid to rest no epitaph in the sea of which he braved
We lament a sailor taken by the deepest grave
*This is not a true sonnet -song in Italian- but in my own attempts this a 'song' to those who lose their lives at sea or make living from her.
Technically speaking this not a true sonnet which means song in Italian.Mostly because it does not rhyme all the way through at the end of each of the lines.At a risk of ruining the mood of the poem I decided to keep the original wording even though it doesn't rhyme all the way. Lines. seven and nine you/domain-there was nothing I could do to make it rhyme.So in order to save the poem I invoked the right to poetic license since the over-all picture was more important.When I published the poem I doubled the number of lines at a certain break point in each line.There is an internal rhyme scheme in middle of some of the lines.
Although there are 14 lines in this poem, yet it is not a real sonnet, because the form doesn't follow with it's proper lines abba, abba, cd, cd, cd.You have separated the sentences to fix like a sonnet, but this is not a successful piece.
Herbert, It is memorial poem.Read my previous notes on it.After reading some your precision dry poetry I realize that my earlier poems were written with a heavier tone. My poetic voice differs from yours.This poem was written in the 1980s after a terrible loss of life in a small fishing community.
After reading your regrettable comments in the forum, curiosity led me to your poems. This is not a poem. It is painful to read and lacks music, beauty and story. Pardon me for not looking at any more of your creations. H
even tho it is not a true sonnet, it is very beautiful and a very great tribute to the men of the merchant marine, and the fishermen, and private sailboats, and others who take their pleasure on the waves. While I was reading this, I remembered the Edmund Fitzgerald and the 30 men that were lost in Lake Superior in November of 1975. It is like I said Lorraine, anyone that can write as beautifully as you do, deserves to be published. Thank you for sharing this delightful poem. Hugs, Barbara
Lorraine, I really enjoyed this piece. It may not be a true sonnet but it is still beautiful which is more important. Sonnets are very hard, at least for me, but beauty if easy enough to see and if this is not a true sonnet it is a real poem and I think its lovely. 23 year army vet, Cordell
Albert, Thanks for your comment.I could change the title of the poem to The Siren Sings to a Sailor and then split the lines or leave it as it is.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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4/18/2024 8:35:49 AM # 1.0.0.1119
When we were stationed in Charleston Oregon between 1981 to 1984 my husband served in the United States Coast Guard.During one of the weeks the community lost two fishing boats and a Coast Guard helicoptor during a rescue effort during a very bad series of storms. All souls were lost.I wrote this poem after the events took place and it was published in the local newspaper and later on in my book.Brave are those who go down to the seas and face the great perils.'She', the Sea and the Wind can be a sweet mistress or tempetuous one.May they rest in peace.