A VESSEL
A dark black dome above the motionless
and silent ocean,
And specks of stars.
And the Moon is a most lonesome lantern.
And the world so transparent, a big
lump of glass,
Fantastic castles have been put into
by a famous craftsman,
And hanging their reflections are looking
like stalactites.
There's nothing breaking into the quietness.
There's only silehce looking dark in
theads of cracks.
But then in the water mirror convulsions
start running.
Oh so slow.
Slowly the shadow of a colossal bird
is moving.
And here,s the vessel heaving, nearly
pellucid and light.
No ghost and no dream.
No sail the ship must have,
There are columns towering instead,
and spirals
of archways and stairways.
And also bells.
Hear them scarsely ring
And fall like crystals down on ice.
And then that careful ringing echoes
in the world,
It's shimmering, vibrating, slightly
droning.
And such marvelous music'.
But there's only one person ever to
listen.
The keeper of the bells, he,s yonder,
on the board.
And he's going up the staircase.
His heavy raincoat pouring down the
stairs behind him.
And still you're gonna hear those measured
steps,
And still you're gonna hear that charming
chime,
And still you're gonna see the troubled
wave.