Other Cargoes
after John Masefield's Cargoes
Caravel of Lisbon wallows urgent westward,
Drifting in the doldrums beneath a scorching sun,
with a cargo of misery,
dried beans, manacles,
and dark fearful souls six score strong.
Corsair dhow of Zanzibar flees before the Ensign,
Hugs the Hejaz coast for the market in Aden,
with a cargo of rifles,
Brussels lace, brandy,
blood ivory and a Maasai maiden.
Puffing Hudson riverboat against the tide to New York,
wheels churning midstream on a sunny Sabbath day,
with a cargo of cut nails,
saw mill, iron beam,
applejack, woolsack and New Paltz hay.