Cape Grace

The lighthouse at Le Cap de Grace

Was damp and dark at best,

The rain would sweep in from the south,

The wind rage from the west,

But nature’s torments could not match

The storms that formed within,

For deep inside its battered walls

Were palls of mortal sin.

Two lighthouse keepers kept the light,

Both Jon and Jacques De Vaux,

They tended to the light above

While she would wait below,

The dusky, husky buxom witch

With lips of honey dew,

Who loved the lighthouse keepers,

Not just one, but even two.

Below was but a single bed,

She said that they must share,

They watched her eagerly each night

Her tend and brush her hair,

For then she would turn round to them

And indicate her choice,

She’d merely point at one of them,

Not even use her voice.

And then the chosen one would smile

His brother often curse,

For he would share her bed that night

The other fare much worse,

For he would lie inside the store

On coils of hempen rope,

And lie awake and listening,

No sound would give him hope.

But often she would cry aloud

In passion through the night,

While Jon or Jacques would stop his ears

And think, ‘It’s just not right.’

But she ruled this menage a trois

With silken hand and glove,

And they would never question it

While working up above.

She only ever favoured each

For just a single night,

She knew to show a favourite

Would seem to them like spite,

And thus the nightly balance kept

Their tempers both in check,

She fed on their desires, and they

In turn showed her respect.

The winter storms came in to stay,

The waves beat down below,

The wind beat at the lighthouse glass

And one would have to go,

Above to guard that precious light

To keep the ships from harm,

But who would go aloft would cause

The brothers both alarm.

For he who stayed would taste the charms

Of Elspeth for that night,

It might not be his turn, and that

They both thought wasn’t right,

A rising tide of anger fed

By storms and mute dismay,

Turned brother against brother when

One had to go away.

One night the light went out, and Jon

Said, ‘Jacques, go up above,

Your turn it is to light the light

While I stay with our love.’

But Jacques refused his brother’s plea

And said, ‘No, you can go,

You had the bed of love last night,

I’m staying down below.’

The night was dark and moonless and

There wasn’t any light,

While out there in the darkness rode

A freighter in the night,

It drove up on the reef, its bow

Then battered in their door,

And pinned their husky, dusky witch

In blood pools on the floor.

The lighthouse at Le Cap de Grace

Is damp and dark at best,

The rain will sweep in from the south,

The wind rage from the west,

Two lighthouse keepers keep the light

And share the only bed,

The half love that they long for now

Is well and truly dead.

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[Tony Jordan]

I know two brothers who would sooo fit the bill here too (and a wicked woman who nearly came between them) - not that the were lighthouse-keepers or 'owt just two brothers who would not blink an eye to sharing a woman !! lol

The ship became the sword of Solomon only no messing around this time - WHUMP!! and she's taty-bread.
Class DLP. Pure class !!

[TPK Stories]

A sad love triangle between two brothers over a woman. Nicely written.

[T.S. Sky]

Fantastic poem. Well written.

[Coyote Poetry]

A amazing tale my friend. I like the story line and the characters. The poem left me with some sadness. Thank you for sharing the amazing tale.
Coyote

[A. Monahan]

This is really well done. It's a classic tale we all know so well of two men fighting over one love, here written in it's own unique way.

[Valentine]

Very well written, I wanted it to last longer , perhaps a bit more when the freighter ram it. This flows so well, great write Mate. Valentine