Keeper of the LightA Poem by David Lewis PagetI pulled at the oars with Valentine While Derek sat at the rear, He’d taken his turn, now I took mine Our quarry was drawing near, For up on the bluff, deserted now The tower stood, gaunt and white, We’d managed the creaking boat somehow To get to the Keystone Light.
It hadn’t been manned for fifty years Its age was a matter of doubt, The Keeper’s wife, in a fit of tears, Left the light sputtering out. Her husband gone in a giant wave That carried him off from the bluff, While in the dark was the Barque ‘Enclave’ Settling down in a trough.
And on the steps of the Keystone Light The widow clung to the rail, The wave was tugging about her skirt As the Barque lost its mizzen sail, A shark, caught up in the mighty swell Was swept right up to the steps, And took her leg in a single bite, Returned with it to the depths.
They found her dead by the Keystone Light The Barque, smashed up on the shore, But never a sign of the Keeper, Sam, Who had guarded the Light before. They said his ghost ruled the tower top That it howled in a winter storm, While she kept swinging the outer door To try keep the tower warm.
So we climbed up on that winter’s day, The three of us to the bluff, We lads let Valentine lead the way She liked all that ghostly stuff. The door hung off from its hinges there From flapping about in the wind, While Derek muttered, ‘We’d best beware, There may be ghosts,’ and he grinned.
We’d gone, expecting to stay the night So carried our candles and gear, The bottom floor with the open door Was a little too breezy, I fear. I followed Valentine up to the Light And carried the blankets there, The view was truly a marvellous sight But the wind gave us all a scare.
It hummed and soughed at the outer rail, It groaned, and whispered and growled, They’d warned, ‘It sounds like the Keeper’s wail,’ And true, at times it had howled. It even seemed to have called her name, The widow, crying in pain, ‘Caroline, I’ll be coming for you,’ Was the sound of the wind’s refrain.
We slept that night, or we tried to sleep All huddled up on the floor, But Derek rose, and before the dawn His body lay down on the shore. He must have fallen over the rail While both of us were asleep, But now the sound of the wind in its wail Said, ‘Catch the wave at its peak!’
We hurried on down the spiral stair, As the dawn came up like a trick, We couldn’t bear to be caught up there With both of us feeling sick. But Valentine went out on the steps Where the widow had stood before. A sudden gust caught the door and just Knocked Valentine to the floor.
I saw she’d never get up again With the wound it gave to her head, So much blood, like Caroline, I knew she had to be dead. I heave away at the oars, and pray That their sacrifices will be Enough to bring my Caroline back For the Lighthouse Keeper was me!
David Lewis Paget © 2016 David Lewis PagetFeatured Review
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