Only the Poet Triumphed
Modern poetry modern verse contemporary poetry contemporary verse modern poem contemporary poem
The only man to live the storm through on
The wind-wrecked ship was singing all the while.
The singer, he survived it in the dawn.
Alone he lived. Alone he missed the isle
Of death. The helmsman and the sailors died.
The night and winds and sea consumed those, all,
So only he remained. With words his guide,
His words with music, he strong-armed the sprawl
And found himself upon a rocky ledge.
He spread his chiton and his cloak then in
The early morning sun, there on the edge
Of life and death. The singer raised his chin
To sing again, a psalm of praise as plain
As whitest cloth. It helped to calm his pain.