oil on canvas

Charles McVicker
the escape

Book 9: Lines 199-200

Now we stared across at the Cyclops' shore, so near
we could even see their smoke, hear their voices,
their bleating sheep and goats...
And then when the sun had set and night came on
we lay down and slept at the water's shelving edge.
When young Dawn with her rose-red fingers shone once more
I called a muster briskly, commanding all the hands,
'The rest of you stay here, my friends-in-arms.
I'll go across with my own ship and crew
and probe the natives living over there.
What are they--violent, savage, lawless?
or friendly to strangers, god-fearing men?'
With that I boarded ship and told the crew
to embark at once and cast off cables quickly.

They swung aboard, they sat to the oars in ranks
and in rhythm churned the water white with stroke on stroke.