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 | The Collected Poems of Philip Bourke Marston |  |
A BALLAD OF BRAVE WOMEN.
Off Swansea — January 27, 1883.
With hiss and thunder and inner boom,
White through the darkness the great waves loom,
And charge the rocks with the shock of doom.
White through the darkness the great waves loom,
And charge the rocks with the shock of doom.
A second sea is the hurricane's blast;
Its viewless billows are loud and vast,
By their strength great trees are uptorn, downcast.
Its viewless billows are loud and vast,
By their strength great trees are uptorn, downcast.
At times, through the hurry of clouds, the moon
Looks out aghast; but her face right soon
Is hidden again, and she seems to swoon.
Looks out aghast; but her face right soon
Is hidden again, and she seems to swoon.
205
Hark to the voice which shouts from the sea,
The voice of a fiendish revelry!
For the unseen hunters are out, and flee
The voice of a fiendish revelry!
For the unseen hunters are out, and flee
Over the crests of the roaring deep,
Or they climb the waves that are wild and steep,
Or right through the heart of their light they leap.
Or they climb the waves that are wild and steep,
Or right through the heart of their light they leap.
Roar of the wind and roar of the waves,
And song and clamor of sea-filled caves!
What ship to-night such a tempest braves?
And song and clamor of sea-filled caves!
What ship to-night such a tempest braves?
Yet see, ah, see, how a snake of light
Goes hissing and writhing up all the night!
While the cry, “Going down!” through the winds' mad might,
Goes hissing and writhing up all the night!
While the cry, “Going down!” through the winds' mad might,
Through the roar of the winds and the waves together,
Is sent this way by the shrieking weather;
But to help on such night were a vain endeavor.
Is sent this way by the shrieking weather;
But to help on such night were a vain endeavor.
See! a glare of torches, and married and single,
Men and women confusedly mingle;
You can hear the rush of their feet down the shingle.
Men and women confusedly mingle;
You can hear the rush of their feet down the shingle.
Oh, salt and keen is the spray in their faces;
From the strength of the wind they reel in their paces,
Catch hands to steady them there in their places.
From the strength of the wind they reel in their paces,
Catch hands to steady them there in their places.
How would a boat in such seas behave?
But the lifeboat — the lifeboat — the lifeboat will save!
She is manned, with her crew of strong fellows, and brave.
But the lifeboat — the lifeboat — the lifeboat will save!
She is manned, with her crew of strong fellows, and brave.
See! They ride on the heights, in the deep valleys dip,
Until, with a cry which the winds outstrip,
Their boat is hurled on the sinking ship.
Until, with a cry which the winds outstrip,
Their boat is hurled on the sinking ship.
206
Its side is gored, for the sea to have way through, —
“It is over!” they cried. “We have done all men may do!
Yet there's one chance left!” and themselves they threw
“It is over!” they cried. “We have done all men may do!
Yet there's one chance left!” and themselves they threw
Right into the wrath of the sea and the wind.
It rages all round them, before and behind;
Their ears are deafened; their eyes are blind.
It rages all round them, before and behind;
Their ears are deafened; their eyes are blind.
There in the middlemost hell of the night,
Yea, in the innermost heart of the fight,
They strain and they struggle with all their might, —
Yea, in the innermost heart of the fight,
They strain and they struggle with all their might, —
With never a pause, while God's mercy they cry on;
Their teeth are set, their muscles are iron, —
Each man has the heart and the thews of a lion.
Their teeth are set, their muscles are iron, —
Each man has the heart and the thews of a lion.
Wave spurns them to wave. They may do it! Who knows?
For shoreward the great tide towering goes,
And shoreward the great wind thundering blows.
For shoreward the great tide towering goes,
And shoreward the great wind thundering blows.
But, no! See that wave, like a Fate bearing on!
It breaks them and passes. Two swimmers alone
Are seen 'mid the waves, and their strength is nigh gone.
It breaks them and passes. Two swimmers alone
Are seen 'mid the waves, and their strength is nigh gone.
Quoth three soldiers on shore, “They must give up all hope.
Neither swimmer nor boat with such surges could cope,
Nor could one stand steady to cast a rope.
Neither swimmer nor boat with such surges could cope,
Nor could one stand steady to cast a rope.
“For he who would cast it must stand hip-high
In the trough of the sea, and be thrown thereby
On his face, nevermore to behold the sky.”
In the trough of the sea, and be thrown thereby
On his face, nevermore to behold the sky.”
But a woman stept out from those gathered there,
And she said, “My life for their lives will I dare.
I pray for strength. God will hear my prayer.”
And she said, “My life for their lives will I dare.
I pray for strength. God will hear my prayer.”
207
And the light of her soul her eyes shone through,
But the men they jeered, and they cried, “Go to!
Can a woman do what we dare not do?”
But the men they jeered, and they cried, “Go to!
Can a woman do what we dare not do?”
Spake another woman: “I, too! We twain
Will do our best, striving with might and main;
And if what we do shall be done in vain,
Will do our best, striving with might and main;
And if what we do shall be done in vain,
“And the great sea have us to hold and hide,
It were surely better thus to have died
Than to live as these live. Haste! haste!” she cried.
It were surely better thus to have died
Than to live as these live. Haste! haste!” she cried.
They seized a rope, and with no word more,
Fearless of death, down the steep of the shore,
They dashed right into the light and the roar
Fearless of death, down the steep of the shore,
They dashed right into the light and the roar
Of the giant waves, which sprang on them there,
As a beast on prey may spring from his lair,
While the roar of his triumph makes deaf the air.
As a beast on prey may spring from his lair,
While the roar of his triumph makes deaf the air.
Oh, loud is the Death they hurry to meet;
The stones slip shrieking from under their feet;
They stagger, but fall not. Beat, mad billows, beat!
The stones slip shrieking from under their feet;
They stagger, but fall not. Beat, mad billows, beat!
They raise their arms, with their soul's strength quivering;
They pause, “Will it reach?” Then they shout and fling;
And straight as a stone driven forth by a sling,
They pause, “Will it reach?” Then they shout and fling;
And straight as a stone driven forth by a sling,
Driven far afield by a master hand,
The rope whizzes out from the seething strand.
A shout: “It is caught! For land, now, for land!”
The rope whizzes out from the seething strand.
A shout: “It is caught! For land, now, for land!”
A crash like thunder! They drop to their knees
But they keep their hold in the under seas.
They rise; they pull; nor falter; nor cease.
But they keep their hold in the under seas.
They rise; they pull; nor falter; nor cease.
208
The strength of ten men have these women to-night,
And they shout with the rapturous sense of their might, —
Shout as men shout when they revel in fight.
And they shout with the rapturous sense of their might, —
Shout as men shout when they revel in fight.
They reel, but they fall not. The rope winds in, fast;
Then a shout, a near shout, answers their shout at last, —
“That will do! We touch ground.” God, the danger is past!
Then a shout, a near shout, answers their shout at last, —
“That will do! We touch ground.” God, the danger is past!
They turn them, then, from the raging water
With the two they have snatched from its lust of slaughter;
But their feet flag now, and their breath comes shorter.
With the two they have snatched from its lust of slaughter;
But their feet flag now, and their breath comes shorter.
Hardly they hear in their sea-dinned ears
The sound of sobs, or the sound of cheers;
Their eyes are drowned, but not drowned with tears.
The sound of sobs, or the sound of cheers;
Their eyes are drowned, but not drowned with tears.
When deeds of valor Coast vaunts over Coast,
As to which proved bravest, and which did most,
Two Swansea women shall be my toast.
As to which proved bravest, and which did most,
Two Swansea women shall be my toast.
| The Collected Poems of Philip Bourke Marston | |