The Sea

I stand upon the shore, the night grown deep
The stars above in silent vigil keep
Yet as I gaze upon the endless sea
A nameless dread doth rise and gnaw at me

What swimmeth there, beneath the moonless tide
Where darkness moves and ancient horrors bide?  
The waves, they whisper secrets I shan’t know
And in their depths, the foulest creatures grow

I hear the swell, a low and eerie sound
As though some beast below were winding 'round
Its form unseen, its presence yet I feel
A weight that presses, cold and sharp as steel

O God, what hides beneath this blackened wave?  
What monstrous thing doth use the sea as grave?  
With scaled flesh, and eyes that never blink
Do they now watch me, lingering on the brink?  

The surface stirs, though naught can I behold
Yet in my heart, the terror takes its hold
For what is there, in oceans vast and grim
That doth not mock the very face of Him?  

I shudder, though the night is warm and still
For in the deep, I feel an unknown will
Some ancient life, some beast beyond my ken
That feeds where no light dares to shine again

The waters churn, and in their dark embrace
I see the glimpse of something, swift, in place
A flash of scales, a shape beyond my sight
Then gone, consumed by shadow's endless night

O cursed sea, what horrors dost thou keep?  
What vile abominations in thee creep?  
I turn away, but still, the fear doth grow
For in those depths, what swims, I’ll never know