"Leviathan (Dark Dreams)
If you could see behind these eyes
This is not some fairy tale
About a man's mind lost at sea
Outwitted by a great white whale
A harpoon's line twisted the frail
shattered leg above the knee
he found himself (among the waves
that bite was clean from that muscled knave
One hundred throws, decades would pass
The ships would heave, men breathed their last
The great leviathan would sound and breach
that storied beast, beyond their bloody reach
Sailing 'round Chilean grounds
Their fears unsaid
Ships forged a head
and the sea turned red
Filled their Yankee heads
with dark dreams
He'd sound and breach
their wails and woes
The captain pulled his three-draw glass
the man aloft cried "There she blows."
Then a lucky wind would fill their masts
Two points on the weather bow
Three were seen, one with child
A newborn calf, born just now
the great white whale would stand his ground
He'd seen it all before
whaling boats and their frenzied speed
blooded oars swung high then deep
he'd plunge below and rise the Beast
He weathered nineteen blows
His two loved ones safely below
A crimson tide, foes traded blows
The great white whale was slain, then stowed
The men grew quiet for the seed they'd sown
His body held in a hundred casks
heading toward Nantucket Sound
Sea rovers, soon home at last
With oil aplenty to light their lamps
Sailing 'round Chilean grounds
Their fears unsaid
Ships forged a head
and the sea turned red
Filled their Yankee heads
with dark dreams
So, if you could see behind these eyes
This is not some fairy tale
About a man's mind lost at sea
Outwitted by a great white whale
Copyright) Rick Landers 2021
Rick Landers is a multi-award winning singer-songwriter, author, and poet who publishes, Guitar International magazine (2004 – 2024). He and his band, Heartland, perform at house concerts, music festivals, and DMV venues. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a Masters degree in Public Administration. As a retired federal employee, he served as the Deputy Assistant Inspector General (Communications) with the Office of the Inspector General, Department of Defense.
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