Excerpts from Jack Smith's journal-Pt.-1

 
*The pounding of ever present rain shattered my hopes of ever reaching our sacred island.*


We sailed out towards the morning light with our backs to the crisp leanings of a failing nation,holding fast to our faith in the humanity that binds us comrade.
Our vessel, stocked well with each man holding hope in their eyes, while the shanty sang 'a hundred years ago', pressing to Gods honour for favour in this journey, we railed Hoorah till the sun rose straight above our heads.

This next turn of hours time brought forth a stir of waves, borne by a start from our perch aloft his nest.

Screams blasted against our mast as we sailed sure into a mass of floating jetsam, circling in the waters like an x on a treasure map.
I commanded "let the nets be thrown, let us see what spoils were jettisoned", whatever that hapless seafarer left us, hopefully serves us better!!!

The men happily made quick work combing this lot, whistling and cheering sighting barrels of lager,
no dry dock will there be on this merry tub, not for months to come.

We sifted through like ravenous pigs clenching a hold upon our last days supper as each glorious treasure became another.
There were wooden boxes with diamonds and pearls, Turk found a squeezebox much to our dismay, while I found a powder horn complete with engravings, borne from port of Soroka it's detail flawless, crafted lovingly by some talented Pomory.

We each had a haul worthy of princes, coasting further from any thought to misfortune.

As the sun sank low we could hear the cries of the right whale, giving callback to Turks musings.
All sense of men set upon drifting, thoughts to none and everything, this possibility of beginning and ending.
With our anchors away Tom asked if I believed in what we were doing, this told me not all weights were lifted.
He had his glassy eyes red rimmed, from too much rum and loss of loved ones, reaching for a rope to hold onto.

"Tom, My brother hold fast as we sail yonder, keep your chest out, as we prove to all others, there is perfection, calm to these waters"

I saw  his sigh rise and fall, wavering in the stern dusk light.
Had I the compassion I would've hugged him, as the son he truly was to me.
But these were mans men, grown long with the ways of hardiness,
kept cold by their losses.

I paused looking out to the east where a figure rose outlined like human form.
It's eyes locked onto mine, this I could feel as sparks ran through every inch of my being.
One thought,
I had to be dreaming as my stomach fell over waves of long forgotten passion.
This creature I felt pierced the very depths of me, as I hung suspended, tied to its very nature, akin to the very reasons I sought this adventure.
What kept me transfixed seemed a lifetime till finally I took a breath.
My eyes refocused and the image gone, left wondering of mirage.
sucking on an orange to keep this dog biting, I turned heel
for sleeping quarters.

I quickly drowned into sweating dream, filled with flashing token, our lands we did escape.
The government buildings were all lit with burning fires,
my dead uncles tavern now a blackened pit.
There inside my belly I could feel the intensity of every screaming wail, heard pleading behind every musket shot and shout to anger.

This coup had taken everyone by storm, those for and against rallying arms, picking their sides as just, for duty or honour.
We miscreants of forgotten fathers new better than violent martyrdom, acting swiftly to preserve chance, ever seeing solace.
We boatmen, women and short-legs had our ship waiting in the wings, foreseeing this ghastly night.
The dream as in life. saw me upon the boards watching the glow of promise burn as fading sunset.

Tom shook me awake with fear to his eyes, as I felt the sea
knocking us around like a child's plaything.
"We've split our mast and we turn to spinning, this storm has risen by the very anger of Poseidon's hand."
"We are doomed, this is our punishment for leaving our land to fate!"

"Grab ahold of your raisins Tom, squeeze out every bit of mustard you got boy, we aren't dead yet"



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Sw61oITuts