Poems (Jones)/Shipwrecked

by Amanda Theodosia Jones

SHIPWRECKED.

I.
E two waited on the deck—
 All around us rolled the sea;
Helpless, on our reeling wreck,
 Silent, wan, and worn were we.
Where the little boat went down,
 Where the sun had plunged from sight,
Hope and light alike did drown—
 O'er us, dark as Fate, was night.
   Face to face we stood alone,
    Dreary, still, and sad were we;
   Smitten by that wild cyclone,
    All around us beat the sea,
   Rose the sea, rushed the sea,
    Roared the wrathful sea!

II.
Cloudy shapes like hooded ghouls,
 Flitted past our shuddering prow;
Death was reaching for our souls,
 Chill his breath upon the brow:
Then, oh then were we aware,
 Through all war below, above,
Of a face sublimely fair—
 Was it Death unveiled, or Love?
   Heart to heart we stood alone,
    Smiling and serene were we;
   Tortured by that wild cyclone,
    All around us strove the sea,
   Wailed the sea, mourned the sea,
    Sobbed the toiling sea.

III.
While we watched, a seething tide
 O'er our sinking vessel crossed;
Out among the waters wide,
 Smiling still, we two were tossed;
Tossed and drifted, overcome
 In a crowd of surges dread,
Bruised and beaten, blind and dumb,
 So we sank among the dead.
   O my love, and mine alone,
    Sweet it was to die with thee!
   Far beneath that dread cyclone,
    All around us rocked the sea,
   Crept the sea, sank the sea,
    Slept the silent sea.

IV.
Through our slumber sweet and deep,
 Stole the growing light of dawn;
Heart and brain its warmth did steep,
 Out of death our souls were drawn.
So we breathed, awoke, arose,—
 Heart to heart and lip to lip;
Where Love's golden ocean flows,
 Ever sails our snowy ship.
   Never sun so softly shone;
    Fair, in saintly robes are we!
   O'er us shrieks no mad cyclone,
    All around us sings the sea,
   Gleams the sea, glides the sea,
    Laughs the lovely sea!