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

[Katrina Mckeown]

Very expressive , well penned descriptive write.. enjoyed reading!

[Onlyme]

A beautiful poem that is tragic and sad. But, a wonderfully heartfelt great read. Thank you for sharing.

[SM Davis]

The meter is perfection. Smooth like a fine scotch.

[steppenwolf]

So much has been written in praise of your poem that I'm finding it difficult to express myself.
Your images, the power of the sea and sand, intertwined with love and loss...so overwhelming. The rhythm of the words themselves make scene real...

[Frank Miles]

Since Poe cannot walk the night and come to your door and stand at the foot of your bed and thank you silently, I will.

Thank you.

[drcornelius]

I thank you for this wonderful gift. The content, meter, and rhyme is impeccable. Not only is it expertly crafted but tells a compelling tale as well. I'm looking forward to reading more of your work.

[Helen Crutchett]

The many other reviews said it all. You just keep writing masterpiece after masterpiece. Thoroughly enjoyed this one David. Your writing always resonates with me.

[Lady Tyke]

Truly stunning. The pace, the description, a beautiful story interwoven throughout. I felt like I could see all unfold before me. Somber yet respectful. I really liked this.

[emipoemi]

.....I'm at a loss for words.....this is fantastic! A poem quite evocative of the Romantic ballads (with perhaps a tinge of Noyes and Service), and it was so profound, and very well crafted! The story simply sucked me in with its powerful imagery, and faultless musicality! Well done!