Sailor's nocturne
The ottava rima stanza in English consists of eight iambic lines, usually iambic pentameters. Each stanza consists of three rhymes following the rhyme scheme a-b-a-b-a-b-c-c. The form is similar to the older Sicilian octave, but evolved separately and is unrelated. The Sicilian octave is derived from the medieval strambotto and was a crucial step in the development of the sonnet, whereas the ottava rima is related to the canzone, a stanza form.
Beneath the moonlit sky, the ocean’s glow,
reflects the silver light in gentle waves.
The stars above in silent patterns flow,
their ancient light the darkened sea engraves.
A sailor’s heart is where the breezes blow,
his dreams set sail as night the shoreline paves.
In tranquil night, the whispers of the deep,
Sing lullabies to guide him as he sleeps.
Upon the deck, he gazes toward the stars,
their gleaming light a guide through unknown seas.
The whispered winds transport him near and far,
with every breath, he feels the ocean’s breeze.
The tales of old are etched in heaven’s scars,
in constellations’ ancient histories.
Through night’s embrace, the sailor charts his course,
In dreams and stars, he finds his guiding force.
With dawn’s first light, the sky begins to change,
The stars retreat as colors paint the morn,
The sailor knows this world will soon be strange,
Yet onward still his heart remains unshorn.
For every wave and distant, foreign range,
He seeks the truths of lands yet to be born,
Through day and night, his journey will unfold,
A quest for new encounters still untold.
Copyright ©
Sean Kibble
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