GENESIS  ® Williams & Marquardt  © ISM™ 2006


In the beginning God
created heaven and earth.

The earth was barren
with no form of life.

It was under a roaring ocean
covered with darkness.

But the Spirit of God
was moving over the water.

CALL ME ISHMAEL  ® Williams & Marquardt  © ISM™ 2006

Some years ago
never mind how long precisely
having little or no money in my purse
having nothing particular to interest me on shore
I thought I would sail about a little
and see the watery part of the world.

Call me Ishmael
Call me Ishmael

Whenever I find myself
growing grim about the mouth
whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul
whenever it’s hard to prevent me
from knocking people's hats off in the streets
then, I account it high time, to get to sea.

Call me Ishmael
Call me Ishmael

Say you are in the country
in some high land of lakes
take almost any path you please, and ten to one
it carries you down in a dale
and leaves you there by a pool
in the stream that leads to the ocean
there is magic in it.

Call me Ishmael
Call me Ishmael

STRANGE ATTRACTION ® Williams & Marquardt  © ISM™ 2006

Look, here come the crowds
pacing straight for the water
nothing will content them
but the extremist limit of the land.

What a strange attraction
What a strange attraction
What a strange attraction

There they stand, miles of them
leagues, inlanders all
they come from lanes, streets and alleys
they come in summer, winter, spring and fall.

What a strange attraction
What a strange attraction
What a strange attraction

They must get just as
nigh to the water
as they possibly can
without falling in.

They come from north, south, east, and west
yet here they all gather
does the magnetic virtue of all those compass needles
of all those ships attract them thither?

What a strange attraction
What a strange attraction
What a strange attraction

Repeat

YOU CANNOT HIDE THE SOUL  ® Williams & Marquardt  © ISM™ 2006

 
Savage though he was
and hideously marred about the face
his countenance yet had a something in it
which was by no means disagreeable.

You cannot hide the soul
...cannot hide the soul

Through all his unearthly tattooings
I saw the traces of a simple honest heart
and in his large, deep eyes, fiery black and bold
there seemed tokens of a spirit that would dare a thousand devils.

You cannot hide the soul
...cannot hide the soul

There was a certain lofty bearing about him
which even his uncouthness could not altogether maim
he looked like a man who had never cringed
and never had had a creditor.

You cannot hide the soul
...cannot hide the soul

Repeat

JONAH'S PRAYER  ® Williams & Marquardt  © ISM™ 2006

 
You hurled me into the deep
into the very heart of the seas
and the currents swirled about me
all your waves and breakers swept over me.

The engulfing waters threatened me
deep darkness all around
seaweed was wrapped around my head
to the roots of the mountains I sank down.
 
I have been banished from your sight;
yet I´ll look again
toward your holy temple.
I will look again... again…

You hurled me into the deep
into the very heart of the seas
and the currents swirled about me
all your waves and breakers swept over me.

From the depths of the grave I called for help
and you listened to my cry
what I have vowed I will make good
salvation comes from the LORD.

I have been banished from your sight;
yet I’ll look again
toward your holy temple.
I will look again… again…

And the LORD commanded the fish
and it vomited Jonah onto dry land...

THE SHIP  ® Williams & Marquardt  © ISM™ 2006

 
She was a ship of the old school
rather small if anything
long seasoned and weather-stained
in the typhoons and calms of all four oceans.

Her masts stood stiffly up
like the three old kings of Cologne
her ancient decks were worn and wrinkled
like the flag-stone -  where Becket bled.

Her old hull's complexion was darkened
like a French grenadier
she was a noble craft
but somehow a most melancholy!

LEE SHORE  ® Williams & Marquardt  © ISM™ 2006


Feel like a ship in the storm-tossed sea
that miserably drives along the leeward land
the port would fain give us shelter  
the port is pitiful; in the  port  is safety

comfort, hearthstone, supper’ n friends and  warm blankets too…
comfort, hearthstone, supper’ n friends and  warm blankets too…

But in that gale, the port, the land
is that ship's direst jeopardy; she must fly all hospitality
one touch of land, though it but graze the keel
would make her shudder through and through.

With all her might she crowds all sail off shore
With all her might she crowds all sail off shore

In doing so, I fight against the very winds     
that fain would blow me homeward
seek all the lashed sea's landlessness again
for refuge's sake
forlornly
rushing into peril
my only friend
my bitterest foe!

SONNET No 60  ® Williams & Marquardt © ISM™ 2006

Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore
so do our minutes hasten to their end
each changing place with that which goes before
in sequent toil all forwards do contend.

Nativity once in the main of light
crawls to maturity, wherewith being crowned
crooked eclipses 'gainst his glory fight
and time that gave, doth now his gift confound.

Time doth transfix the flourish set on youth
and delves the parallels in beauty's brow
feeds on the rarities of nature's truth
and nothing stands but for his scythe to mow.

And yet to times in hope, my verse shall stand
praising thy worth, despite his cruel hand.

Words by William Shakespeare

THE OATH  ® Williams & Marquardt  © ISM™ 2006

 
AHAB: Whosoever of ye raises me a white-headed whale?
CREW: With a wrinkled brow and a crooked jaw!

AHAB: Whosoever of ye raises me that same white whale?
CREW: With three holes punctured in his starboard fluke!

AHAB: He shall have this gold ounce, my boys!

I, Ishmael, was one of that crew
my shouts had gone up with the rest
my oath had been welded with theirs
and stronger I shouted, and more did I hammer
and clinch my oath, because of the dread in my soul.
A wild and mystical, feeling was in me.
Ahab's quenchless feud seemed mine.

PALE WATERS  ® Williams & Marquardt  © ISM™ 2006

Yonder, by ever-brimming goblet's rim
the warm waves blush like wine
the gold brow plumbs the blue
the diver sun - slow dived from noon- goes down
my soul mounts up!

Is, then, the crown too heavy that I wear
this Iron Crown of Lombardy
yet is it bright with many a gem
but I the wearer, - see not its far flashings - but darkly feel that I wear
that dazzlingly confounds.
    
I leave a white and turbid wake
pale waters, paler cheeks wherever I sail
the envious billows, sidelong
swell to whelm my track
let them
but first I pass                
all on my own.

Oh, hard that to fire others
the match itself must be wasted
what I've dared, I've willed; and what I've willed, I'll do
the path to my fixed purpose - is laid with iron rails, whereon my soul
is grooved - to run.

Dry heat upon my brow
time was, when sunrise spurred me to nobly deeds
and sunset soothed me
no more. This lovely light
it lights not me.

I leave a white and turbid wake
pale waters, paler cheeks wherever I sail
the envious billows, sidelong
swell to whelm my track
let them
but first I pass                
all on my own.

PHANTOM FUTURES  ® Williams & Marquardt  © ISM™ 2006

My soul has been overcome
overcome by a madman
insufferable sting
that sanity should ground arms.

He drilled deep down into me
and blasted all my reason
I think I see his impious end
but feel that I must help him.

Oh heart of mine, as heavy as lead
my clock is running down; I’ve got no key
but with the soft feeling of the human in me
I’ll yet try  
to fight the grim...

...phantom futures!

The ineffable thing has tied me to him
it tows me away; I have no knife to cut
who's over me, he cries; - aye
a democrat to all above.

I plainly see my miserable role
to obey, even while rebelling
and worse yet, to hate
with such a touch of pity.

Oh heart of mine, as heavy as lead
my clock is running down; I’ve got no key
but with the soft feeling of the human in me,
I’ll yet try  
to fight the grim...

...phantom futures!

SPIRIT-SPOUT ® Williams & Marquardt  © ISM™ 2006

While gliding through latter waters             
on a serene and moonlight night
with a soft, suffusing pouring                        
like scrolls of silver the waves rolled by.         

Lit up by the moon far in advance             
a silvery jet was seen.                 
looked like some glittering god             
was rising from the sea.

With every mast head manned
the ship rolled down before the wind
and the deck the hovering deck
felt like air beneath our feet.

But though the ship so swiftly sped
and though from every eye
like arrows the eager glances shot
the jet was no more seen that night

play it again, play me the tune of the gliding ship
that was chasing a jet through the night
a silvery jet, that was blinding my eye
play it boy, play it while the waves roll by

SIGHTING  ® Williams & Marquardt  © ISM™ 2006

Were it a new-made world
and made for a summer-house to the angels
and this morning the first of throwing open it’s gates
a fairer day could not dawn upon it.

After so long and wide a cruise  
the proper time and place seemed to have come
but the hours passed; gold-beaten out to ages
Time itself held long breaths, with keen suspense.  

There she blows
There she blows
There she blows
the white, white whale.

Through the serene tranquilities
of the tropical sea
among waves whose hand-clapping  
were suspended by exceeding rapture.

Not the white bull Jove
swimming away with ravished Europa
clinging to his graceful horns
did surpass the glorified Whale.

Refrain

Cut down to the stump
this is Ahab’s body
but Ahab's soul is a moving upon a hundred legs
and know that Ahab's hawser tows his purpose yet.

Ahab is for ever Ahab
this whole act is immutably decreed
we both rehearsed it a thousand million years
before this ocean rolled.

Refrain

THE CHASE  [ instrumental ]  ® Williams & Marquardt  © ISM™ 2006

“The harpoon was darted; the stricken whale flew forward; with igniting velocity the line ran through the groove; - ran foul. Ahab stooped to clear it; he did clear it; but the flying turn caught him round the neck, and voicelessly as Turkish mutes bowstring their victim, he was shot out of the boat, ere the crew knew he was gone."

EPILOGUE  ® Williams & Marquardt  © ISM™ 2006

I was floating on the margin
of the ensuing scene
when a half spent suction of the ship
reached me.

I was drawn towards the closing vortex,
round and round, and ever contracting

Towards the black bubble, at the axis
of that slowly wheeling circle
when I reached it, it had subsided
to a creamy pool.

The unharming sharks, they glided by
as if with padlocks on their mouths

On the second day, a sail drew near
nearer, and picked me up
It was the devious-cruising Rachel...

...that  in her search for her missing children
only found another orphan

THE SEA CHANGE  ® Williams & Marquardt  © ISM™ 2006

Deep is the sea
blue is the ocean
there’s a world of wonders
underneath it’s waves.

High is the sky
higher than the mountains
where it meets the sea
that’s where I wanna be.

I can hear the stones mumble
waves break at the beach
it’s my lullaby
and it sweeps me
into my dreams.

Quiet lies the sea
under a pale moonlight
looks like I could walk across
to it’s distant shores tonight.

And I take your hand
and I can feel the strength running through our bodies
sitting on this winding silver ribbon
watching the sea change.

I can hear the stones mumble
waves break at the beach
it’s my lullaby
and it sweeps me
into my dreams.