The Island

They’d all set off for an island, that

Was fifty miles off the coast,

They were only going to stay a day

And a night, or two at most,

There were seven men and a woman there

On a twenty metre yacht,

The sea was calm and the breeze was light

And the day was rather hot.

 

‘What do you think we’ll find out there,’

Said the salesman, Alan Brown,

‘Whatever it is,’ the lawyer said,

‘It’s away from the scum of town.’

‘We’ll probably find ourselves again,’

Said the Judge, Lord  Allenby,

‘In a part of the world still pure, unspoiled

Like the way that we used to be.’

 

‘We may even find the Godhead,’ said

The Reverend Michael Shaw,

‘He hasn’t been seen around for years

And that’s what I’m looking for.’

‘I doubt if you’ll find him way out here,’

Said Franks, the Physicist,

‘Modern Science has followed his tracks

And proved, he doesn’t exist.’

 

‘Maybe we’ll find the remains of men,’

Said the archaeologist,

‘An ancient settlement, tumbled down

And pottery shards, to list!’

‘To me, you sound like a crazy lot,’

Said the butcher, Roger Dunn,

‘I just want to score a wild boar

So I brought along a gun.’

 

They’d sailed right into an island cove

When Mary Martin spoke,

Her eyes were dark and her hair was black

And she wore a scarlet cloak,

‘You’ll not find anything that you seek

But the runes of Druid lore,

For this is the ancient gods retreat

As you’ll find, when you explore.’

 

They rowed ashore in the dinghy

Pulled the boat high up on the sand,

Then each went off in his different way

To search for the inner man,

The Judge walked up to the highest cliff

To regret his judgement seat,

And as he fell to the rocks below

Knew all that he’d sown, he’d reaped.

 

The lawyer walked through the undergrowth

And fought his way through the vines,

The briars tore at his face and clothes

As he’d fought each case with lies,

He cried for help from the others as

The vines wrapped round his throat,

But couldn’t utter a plea for himself

As he fell to the ground, and choked.

 

The archaeologist had found

The ruins of ancient walls,

And thought of the riches taken back

He’d stolen from Mayan Halls,

He’d just unearthed a fabulous vase

Encrusted with amethysts,

When a wall collapsed, a future task

For some archaeologist.

 

A shot rang out, and it echoed then

The length of the island shore,

The Physicist dashed around the point

Expecting to see a boar.

But the butcher stood with his jaw agape

By the mouth of a cave, due south,

For the salesman bore lay dead on the floor

So he put the gun to his mouth.

 

Franks threw up as the butcher died

But walked right up to the cave,

He peered in as a rumble grew,

A voice dredged up from the grave,

‘You don’t believe in a god that’s real

You’re wrong, there’s more than a few,’

The ground then opened and swallowed him up,

‘Your science has done for you!’

 

The Reverend Michael Shaw was there

When the ground closed up again,

Crossed himself as he ran away

And he prayed and said, ‘Amen!

He pushed the dinghy down from the beach

And he rowed straight back to the yacht,

‘Preserve me Lord, from a fate like that,

If that’s God, I know him not!’

 

When Mary Martin got to the cave

It was late, was near on dusk,

She placed wild flowers there at the mouth

With a scent that smelled like musk,

‘I come in peace, I’m a nature’s child,

Though I’ve come from a world of sin.’

The voice then whispered, deep in the cave

‘For your grace, just come right in.’

 

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[Strider Marcus Jones]

Stunning poem. I love the use of metaphor and symbolism to convey themes and layered characters created with poetic skill that leap from the page into imagination. I really enjoyed the black humour of poetic justice as each character faced their fate and Mary being the only honest person to survive. Appealed to the pagan in me. Brilliant poem David. 100/100

[Daniel Sala]

What a well-crafted and macabrely funny tale, what you reap you sow... There are several morals in here and all exquisitely conveyed.

[Leigh]

An amazing amount of creativity has gone into the many flowing verses, you are a brilliant storyteller

[wordwarrior]

Oh what an amazing story David. I love all the metaphors in this that all point to one's faith and its strength./
Whatever our faith we have to have the strength of belief to take us striding through life and all it throws at us.
This is awesome. Love it!

[Marie]

THis is great...I thought all along that Mary Martin would be proved right...the ancient gods evidently don't like being disturbed...

[TPK Stories]

Great story...loved how everyone was done in with just therir sins...

[M. Stein]

I love the fact that It didn't seem like I was reading, It seemed as if it were actually happening before my eyes, as if a film were playing in my head. You have a gift for story telling. A very marvelous one, at that! This is really, really something!

[Vincent Moore]

You are one heck of a storyteller my friend. I enjoyed the waves of verses and the stanzas reaping justice on all those souls, each deserving of their just rewards indeed. It isn't an island I would choose to wander about on, my sins would surely do me in:-)

[S.M.R.A]

Loved most of it, wonderful concept. But i dont get the bit about the Physicist, what was he doing that was against nature? i dont see what he stood for.