| Poems |
I MUST down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a gray mist on the sea's face and a gray dawn breaking.
I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.
I must down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.
from "The Collected Poems of John Masefield" 1932 edition
John Masefield sailed around Cape Horn before 1900 and then quit the sea to devote his time to poetry, eventually becoming England's Poet Laureate. This is one of his most famous poems. It has become a favorite of sailors, and has been required reading for generations of schoolchildren in some countries.
Click to read “Electric Fever” by Jerry.
Click to read “Yard Fever”, another parody by "Join Mastweld."