Books

Where your heart becomes a cannon spit iron on the whale Follow him through perdition's flame then live to tell the tale

 

There is no ship quite like a book

it wanders as it may

Then takes us out amongst the waves

where gods and children play

 

To places far and wide we trek

chase hell's whale 'long the pole

Crest waves with Ahab na'er the cape

where gods may claim your soul

 

There your heart becomes a cannon

spit iron on the whale

Follow him through perdition's flame

and live to tell the tale

 

As the oarsmen all stagger back

cross themselves o’re the job

No hope to see another day

forlorn begin to sob

 

Imaginations running wild

wicked cruelty sublime
Chase your whale till you catch his tail

or till the end of time

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Author's Note

Books are the windows to the world. But more than that they traverse time itself. As they take you to Melviles time of Moby Dick. They inspire. More than that they create the world of imagination. For Ahab the White Whale was nothing to be so idealised, rather it was "...all the subtle demonisms of life and thought; all evil, to crazy Ahab, were visibly personified, and made practically assailable in Moby-Dick. He piled upon the whale's white hump the sum of all the general rage and hate felt by his whole race from Adam down; and then, as if his chest had been a mortar, he burst his hot heart's shell upon it."
Thank You Allen Eddings for that rendition of the classic tale

Reviews

[E. A. Fielder]

"where gods and children play." what a line. I love the fact that you can write about anything. Most writers only write about a few things but you are one of those who can find inspiration in an empty can, give it personification or give it real meaning. Books are wondrous things that too many people don't care about these days. I think this is a new favorite.

[Lilly]

The power of the mind is amazing... Imagination is a great and powerful thing
I love the opening lines of this poem - nice work here

[Jazique]

Nicely done and I knew it was like a Moby Dick and notice adding a song now. Good idea if potrayed well like now.

[Enigma]

Wow. That was astounding. Loved it. ^_^

[Larry Dyson]

wow music flashback for Me.. love them too..now the prose..
'Imaginations running wild

wicked cruelty sublime
Chase your whale till you catch his tail'
I love this stanza...

or till the end of time

Catch a whale by the tail ... LOL love that line!

[Valentine]

I love to read and many a line from a book, changed so not to plagerize has been used in different poems of mine..The words not only twll a story, but hold one captured until the last page..I cn see how you were inspired to write this one..nice going Tate..lol and God bless..Kathie

My shelf is full of ships, so much so that I need to buy a new one. I'm not much for the classics such as Moby Dick, but the ship metaphor applies to all books. Not only do you describe books as an escape into another time and place, you also remind us as writers that we must make our characters struggle and suffer for everything they gain. A visceral poem, nicely done.

[Chloe..Across the Unive..]

Call me Ishmael.. I agree with your words in poem .
Books are an escape, a learning tool, a friend when we can find no other.


Chloe

[Coyote Poetry]

Moby Dick is one of many book written by men who saw life as a challenge. Not a place to wait for death. All the Jack London books are filled with real life and challenge. Life should be to stand for something. Dying for nothing is a bad way to go. You took me back to when I was a kid. Melviles and London were always in my hands. A excellent poem.
Coyote