a long slow journey

all that we know's one answer at the last
the human form cannot contain all that
our images have become still and flat
we cannot tell the present from the past
the crew has merged unnoticed into the cast
the bird of sunrise now becomes a bat
in the blue corner now there lurks a cat
odysseus has been lashed firm to the mast
we may not know the siren song of hope
but see the rocks and note both reefs and shoals
with hope that we'll find safe harbour at the end
meanwhile we pay out every length of rope
fill up the brazier with fresh seal coals
and hope that monster turns into a friend