School-wide Poetry Month: Day Fifteen (Jonathan)

I chose "A Song in Storm" by Rudyard Kipling because it has a lot of powerful words in it and it also speaks to me and feels meaningful to me. It has power in my mind.

A Song in Storm
Be well assured that on our side
     The abiding oceans fight ,
Though headlong wind and heaping tide
     Make us their sport to-night.
By force of weather , not of war,
     In jeopardy we steer:
Then welcome fate's discourtesy
     Whereby it shall appear
           How in all time of our distress,
           And our deliverance too,
           The game is more than the player of the game,
           And the ship is more than the crew!

Out of the mist into the mirk
     The glittering combers roll.
Almost all these waters work
     As though they had a soul-
Almost as though they leagued to whelm
           Our flag beneath the green:
           Then welcome fates discourtesy
           Whereby it shall be seen, etc.

Be well assured, though wave and wind
     Have mightier blows in store,
That we who keep the watch assigned
     Must stand it to the more;
And our streaming bows rebuke
     Each billow's baulked career'
Sing welcome fate's discourtesy
     Whereby it is made clear, etc.

No matter though our decks be swept
     And mast and timber crack-

We can make good all loss except
    The loss of turning back.
So twixt these devils and our deep
     Let courteous trumpets sound
To welcome Fate's discourtesy,
      Whereby it will be found, etc.

Be well assured though in our power
       Is nothing left to give
But chance and place to meet the hour,
       And leave to strive to live,
Till these dissolve our Order holds,
       Our service binds us here.
Then welcome Fate's discourtesy
       Whereby it is made clear
             How in all times of our distress,
             And in our triumph too,
             The game is more than the player of the game,
             And the ship is more than the crew!

Poem ©Rudyard Kipking. All rights reserved.