Columbus by Joaquin Miller
BEHIND him lay the gray Azores,
Behind the Gates of Hercules;
Before him not the ghost of shores,
Before him only shoreless seas.
The good mate said: "Now we must pray,
For lo! the very stars are gone.
Brave Admiral, speak, what shall I say?"
"Why, say, 'Sail on! sail on! and on!'"
"My men grow mutinous day by day;
My men grow ghastly wan and weak."
The stout mate thought of home; a spray
Of salt wave washed his swarthy cheek.
"What shall I say, brave Admiral, say,
If we sight naught but seas at dawn?"
"Why, you shall say at break of day,
'Sail on! sail on! and on!"
They sailed and sailed, as winds might blow,
Until at last the blanched mate said:
"Why, now not even God would know
Should I and all my men fall dead.
These very winds forget their way,
For God from these dead seas is gone.
Now speak, brave Admiral, speak and say"--
He said, "Sail on! sail on! and on!"
They sailed. They sailed. Then spake the mate:
"This mad sea shows his teeth tonight.
He curls his lip, he lies in wait,
With lifted teeth, as if to bite!
Brave Admiral, say but one good word:
What shall we do when hope is gone!"
The words leapt like a leaping sword:
"Sail on! sail on! sail on! and on!"
Then pale and worn, he kept his deck,
And peered through darkness. Ah, that night
Of all dark nights! And then a speck--
A light! a light! at last a light!
It grew, a starlit flag unfurled!
It grew to be Time's burst of dawn.
He gained a world; he gave that world
Its grandest lesson: "On! sail on!"
I read this poem this morning and for some reason it really struck an emotion in me. I could feel the sorrow and despair of the mate and the hope and determination of Columbus! Reading the poem outloud brings it all to life. What a great lesson this poem has for us and what a great lesson Columbus taught us: never give up on your dreams and your hopes,
endure to the end...SAIL ON!
Each week in school, Maddie memorizes a new poem. And this is the poem for this week (they actually have 2 weeks for this one considering the length). They recite their poems each Thursday in front of the class. Maddie has been memorizing a poem a week since Kindergarten! That's a lot of poetry. Every April, they have a Speech Festival-needless to say, Maddie really shines! We are so proud of her and her accomplishments. She does so well in school and is a conscientious student. I am so grateful Maddie has been able to attend Challenger.
Each week in school, Maddie memorizes a new poem. And this is the poem for this week (they actually have 2 weeks for this one considering the length). They recite their poems each Thursday in front of the class. Maddie has been memorizing a poem a week since Kindergarten! That's a lot of poetry. Every April, they have a Speech Festival-needless to say, Maddie really shines! We are so proud of her and her accomplishments. She does so well in school and is a conscientious student. I am so grateful Maddie has been able to attend Challenger.
Maddie in front of her school...Challenger.
1 comment:
Mads is such a smart girl. I love her! Do you have any of her poems on video? Boo if you don't! What I wouldn't give right now to watch a video of her in kindergarten reciting her poem!
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