The Relativity Boat. Poem by Bryan Sefton

The boat is still. The world turns
The distant island comes forward
Happens and is gone
Sinks below the horizon to memory
Sinks below memory to oblivion
The boat jumps upon the spot
An eager thoroughbred behind
A starting gate that will never open
The waves, like faithful owners, slap it's flanks
The wind pushes and prods the stiff sail
How does it stay so still when all else moves?
He pushes against the sail, trying to test it
The waves, pushing against the bow slip past

The boat is still. The world turns
Beneath, in the dark depths
Black shapes move and circle
They are said to be there
More felt than seen
If the water were clean enough
If one could see down far enough
There would be no mistake
They were there at the dawn of time
Then, they were seen and talked about
Then, man was there and could see them
Before the cracks came
That turned into sores
That festered into boils
Their contents burst onto the oceans floor
Made a mountain for man to climb
The black shapes stayed
Waiting for man to come down
He never did, he had passed on
Gone to higher things
The black shapes passed on to folklore

The boat is still. The world turns
The sun burns to see it
If I were fixed like that boat, it thought
If I knew the secret of standing still
There would be answers to questions
They say that planets have sides dark and light
They say that the dark is peaceful and quiet
Because I am fixed to my orbit I never see dark
Because I am fixed to my orbit I never know peace'
The sun blazes in its anger
If I could hang suspended it thought
I would burn it to a cinder!

The boat is still. The world turns
A seagull, lighting upon the mast, looks down
If I had man's ingenuity' it thought
If I had the knowledge to build a boat
I would never use my wings again
I would never know what it is to struggle
I would build a mast bigger than this one
It would reach up to the sun
I would look down upon the sea
Everything would come to me
Any tasty morsel that happened by
Why! Down I'd fly
My mate would be proud to have me beside her
She would call me, the great provider

The dolphins came, looking for a leader
Swam respectfully round the boats sleek lines
Touched the bow with their snouts in homage
Spoke in sonic reverence to the hull
Told it, lead and we will follow
Stood on tail to impress the boat
They leapt out of the water better to see
Fell back and chattered admiringly
Spoke of how great they would be with such a leader
Began a dance of adoration that lasted three days
The boat, aloof and indifferent, merely nodded
The dolphins, one by one, drifted away
The acknowledgements, they realised,
Had all been in their own minds

The sun sank, the moon rose
Looked down upon the sailing boat
Said, Every night I rise and here
It is, bobbing away contented and still
While I turn like a relentless mill
While all the universe follows
A law that's fixed and must be obeyed
The sole exception is this upstart boat
With the sail displayed
Why? It asked the waves
Why? It asked the cloud
Why must it be it asked the wind?
Why? To the Godless dolphins
Why are we constantly on the move?
If I stay I dissipate said the wind
If I stay I cannot rise said the waves
If I stay I cannot grow said the cloud
If we stay we starve said the dolphins
The wind seethed as he thought on it
The cloud boiled as he pondered it
The waves became agitated
The dolphins sensed it
They all began to murmur among themselves
Anger ran through the elements

But I must travel! screamed the wind tearing the sail
And I must rise! ' Said the waves churning the tide
And swim! ' Said the depths
And drift! ' Said the clouds growing black at the thought
The ominous rumblings grew and grew
Until the very air caught on
Flashing angrily at the upstart boat
The dolphins returned an mass
Why would you not lead us when we were in need?
You were our God and you would not heed our prayers

The waves cast the first stone
Carried the boat up to its highest peak
The wind roared as they cast it down
The boat crashed to the bottom of the trough
Staggered upright, proud and indomitable
The mumbling grew to an angry roar
The very air seemed to seethe at its insolence
Became charged with the heat and fire of its feeling
The charge grew and grew in to white heat
That threw a crackling white stripe across the night
Rending the mast of this oh so arrogant boat
The boat staggered as if hit by a broadside
Thor's hammer struck again
The mast came down, an accusing finger
Slowly sinking, threatening
You! Envious moon!
You! Black hearted cloud
You! Judas dolphins
You! Oh treacherous sea

The mast trailed a dead hand in the water
The boat, capsized, giving access to the waves
Their eager hands came to finish the work
Watched by the iniquitous onlookers
They subsided to an uneasy silence
The trailing hand stretched out, the boat turned
The empty sheet of the sail made a ready shroud
They shuffled uneasily at their dirty deed
Silence fell as the end came nigh
Silence at the boats last gasp
Silence in the cloud and wind
Silence as the sea subsides
The boat begins to sink

The sea said I will take it and hide it
The depths said we will not speak of it'
The seabed said I will cover it'
The wind moved on, taking the cloud
The cloud covered the moon
The dolphins threw themselves into the air
Trying to break themselves upon the waves
Flagalettes to their martyred God