1855

Captain Ahab Some More

Shadow closeted behind captain's door.
The woe aboard,
now consuming Ahab, rotted pine;
steered the ship straight as a Roman Road,
towards Miss Calamaties' shores.

Captain Ahab's starch suit,
did not move in the wind, still born
of the cross-roads purpose it bore.

A white whale, Ahab's craved fruit,
ate from sea's vine;
swam towards the Pequod around Cape Horn.
Last time, Moby-Dick, she bit
into the currents of Ahab's sea.

Swore not to say, "Our Ships been hit!
It's Blasted!
Alls  Wasted!"
But despite the cold winds of memory
the ones tainted with sorry,
Ahab smiled and knew his story:
"Not so my heart, but there is fruit
And thou hast hands."**

**George Herbert The Collar (line 17-18)







Melville has a lot of character descriptions that do not lead to action.  He was a very cerebral author.   So sometimes my dialogue verse does not work out as the best means to respond to the story. Although I could play with some of the ideas expressed here in new ways and abandon the original for a more modern approach.