Return of the Wanderer

There’s a time at night when the moon is full

And the breakers pound the beach,

The world is dark and asleep, the gull

Lies nesting at the breach,

It’s then that the stirrings from the depths

Reach out, like a dead man’s hand,

And shortly, out of the rivulets

There are footprints on the sand.

 

They come ashore and they stand awhile

And they point, this way and that,

Considering well which way to go

As the waves erase their tracks,

Then a breeze picks up and it parts the grass

In a line up from the shore,

And the shape of feet on a farmer’s stile

Are left, till they dry once more.

 

While up on the rise, a cottage sits

With a single faint night-light,

Its simple beam like a beacon streams

Through the tar-black pitch of night,

While deep inside in a cosy room

Sleeps a girl called Carolyn,

Who tosses fretfully in the gloom

As she dreams the words, ‘Come in!’

 

The footsteps up from the field below

Stand still at the old front door,

The lock is rusty, the hinges swing

For an inch, or maybe more,

The wind is moaning and soughing now

And the door is soon ajar,

As the footsteps enter that sacred place

Under the evening star.

 

And Carolyn lies and moans aloud

As his death invades her sleep,

Since ever the depths had formed his shroud

All she had done was weep,

The footprints stood, facing her bed

For an age it seemed, they kept

A silent vigil, there by her head

When she woke, the sheets were wet.

 

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[Marvin Thomas Cox-Flynn..]

After leaving here to take a walk on the stuffy side of authorsden and the feigned professionalism of folks who are only published because they paid to secure attention for themselves, it is such a refreshing and wonderful thing to read your moving, touching, and compelling poetry once more ...

This piece is beautifully penned, while tragically sad in its message of a lover who return home from sea no more ...

It brings a tear to my eyes, not just that this piece is sad but, that you have received 1695 views, to date, on this great poem and only 29 people took the time to tell you they appreciated all your fine effort ... It truly is discouraging times for writers of any genre in this video go fast, got no time but for Facebook and Twitter age in which we live ...

My proverbial hat is off to you!

Marv

[AYVID N]

This is so wonderful...A must read for all.

[Julie McCarthy (juliesp..]

Amazing
Loved this from beginning to end and back again to beyond
Hi fellow Aussie

[Scott Kris]

Hello David,

The Bard still sings…
I actually feel the sorrows of this ballade in my own life experiences.

Thank you for sharing your gifts of poetry here.

Scott

[Angus Ford]

What a touch of class, a superb poem, I read it from begining to end absorbed, a truly wonderful piece of work

[Marvin Thomas Cox-Flynn..]

David Lewis Paget,

Your heart has set to pen of page a most splendidly beautiful and wonderfully written piece of poetry ... Need this old fart from Texas say more? ... I think not, my friend from years ago ...

Marvin Thomas Cox-Flynn de Graham

[JE Falcon]

Few write in rhyme anymore, and given that it is my personal pleaser when I find a really good one. Sad as it is, it expresses much warmth and caring. It is a wonderful poem, David.

[Temperance]

David, I found this to be very moving. I loved it! I found my heart aching for her loss yet, comforted by the love that came to guard her. Well done! Thank you for this! Temp

[Lisasview]

Oh my goodness, another wonderful ~ sad poem.. Reread it several times and it got better with every read...
I read all your reviews, and find it is so disheartening that so many people read, but never review..
I will be reading more...
Lisa, 7:30am rainy in Costa Blanca, Span

[Azsa Wild]

Moving, truly moving thank you! what an ending! you can feel it

[BlackRose]

Marvin said it best. And took similarly the words out my mouth. So sorrowful when we long for their safe return each time to find that one time they don't come back again. Bravo!