A VESSEL

A dark black dome above the motionless and silent ocean,
And specks of stars.
And the Moon is a most lonesome lantern.
And the world so transparent, a big lump of glass,
Fantastic castles have been put into by a famous craftsman,
And hanging their reflections are looking like stalactites.
There's nothing breaking into the quietness.
There's only silehce looking dark in theads of cracks.
But then in the water mirror convulsions start running.
Oh so slow.
Slowly the shadow of a colossal bird is moving.
And here,s the vessel heaving, nearly pellucid and light.
No ghost and no dream.
No sail the ship must have,
There are columns towering instead, and spirals
of archways and stairways.
And also bells.
Hear them scarsely ring
And fall like crystals down on ice.
And then that careful ringing echoes in the world,
It's shimmering, vibrating, slightly droning.
And such marvelous music'.
But there's only one person ever to listen.
The keeper of the bells, he,s yonder, on the board.
And he's going up the staircase.
His heavy raincoat pouring down the stairs behind him.
And still you're gonna hear those measured steps,
And still you're gonna hear that charming chime,
And still you're gonna see the troubled wave.