The Long Call

By D G Moody

Wed, 21 Feb 2024
  • 690 reads
10 comments
 

           Outbound from Orkney

Away from the land and now out at sea,
where the long call of the Herring Gull
reminds me of her abiding call to me.
Calling me now with her love and desire,
calling me from the ice back to our fire;
yet she knew I would always forsake her,
so that I could follow the widow maker.

    “ What am I now, that you leave me?
     Watching your oars pull out to sea;
     away now from your kith and home,
     free to go wherever you may roam.”

That cold drear bitch shall be leading me on,
enticing me with her seducing song. 
Leading me to where gold and death might lie,
over the horizon and past the sky.
Now’s she’s my fate and I must embrace her;
she is my thrall – the grey widow maker.

     “Leaving behind the hearth we shared;
     the sod fire and the hot pelt nights,
     when each to each was all we desired;
     leaving me now with the kids you sired.”

I always breath freer when I’m out at sea, 
knowing there can be no land close to me.

“Wrapped in my cloak, can you hear my repine?
In the long call – I am here, and you are mine”.

                                                  
 © D G Moody 2024
(Image courtesy of Mark Millmore)

Certificate U
Poem
Historical Fiction
Love

Comments

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

I found your poem and that of Kipling (which I hadn't read before) interesting and descriptive of the pull of the open space (I imagine a similar pull felt often by many to be up in mountainous widlerness) and the conflict of danger and responsibility. You seem to have given much thought to sculpting this to hone the points concisely, and I had to look up a couple of useful words! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by D G Moody on

Thank you Rhiannon; and a complement that you looked deeper into Kipling and my modest effort. And yes, my own celtic roots are always for the open seas and landscapes, as I believe are yours.

Dougie Moody

Submitted by D G Moody on

Thanks Jacques - and the Longer Call took me back to my 'yoof', when it was headbands, lentils, weed, bad guitar playing....ah, nostalgia! And what was Cat on about? 

Dougie Moody

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

You took my breath away with this poem Dougie. Like poets of old you capture the ambience of another era. Very much enjoyed reading.

Jenny.. 

 

Submitted by D G Moody on

Thank you Jenny, it was purely an homage to Kipling, but I'm so glad you enjoyed it.

Dougie Moody

Submitted by Tom Brown on

Your painting looks like the Dawn Trader, you know of the Narnia stories. The poem is compact it's not so easy to read, but excellent.

And "gold was made for going to for dreams of coming from, which with any luck will never come true

Cheers! Tom

 

Submitted by D G Moody on

Thanks Tom. I wish I could get a larger image on this poem, but it was one I found that included an accompanying seabird - probably a gull. And those lyrics - it took me a while to place them - good old Lee Marvin, the non singers singer!

Dougie Moody

Submitted by Tom Brown on

Mud can make you prisoner and the plains can make you dry,

Snow can burn your eyes but only people make you cry.

 

Submitted by celticman on

desire and regret pull apart and together. 

 

Submitted by D G Moody on

Nice one Jack - maybe a poem there?

Dougie Moody