Chapter 8 of 14
Lukannon
2 min read
This is the great deep-sea song that all the St. Paul seals sing when they are heading back to their beaches in the summer. It is a sort of very sad seal National Anthem.
I met my mates in the morning (and oh, but I am old!)Where roaring on the ledges the summer ground-swellrolled;I heard them lift the chorus that dropped thebreakers' song--The beaches of Lukannon--two million voices strong!
The song of pleasant stations beside the saltlagoons,The song of blowing squadrons that shuffled down thedunes,The song of midnight dances that churned the sea toflame--The beaches of Lukannon--before the sealers came!
I met my mates in the morning (I'll never meet themmore!);They came and went in legions that darkened all theshore.And through the foam-flecked offing as far as voicecould reachWe hailed the landing-parties and we sang them upthe beach.
The beaches of Lukannon--the winter-wheat sotall--The dripping, crinkled lichens, and the sea-fogdrenching all!The platforms of our playground, all shining smoothand worn!The beaches of Lukannon--the home where we wereborn!
I meet my mates in the morning, a broken, scatteredband.Men shoot us in the water and club us on the land;Men drive us to the Salt House like silly sheep andtame,And still we sing Lukannon--before the sealers came.
Wheel down, wheel down to southward; oh,Gooverooska go!And tell the Deep-Sea Viceroys the story of our woe;Ere, empty as the shark's egg the tempest flingsashore,The beaches of Lukannon shall know their sons nomore!