Setting Sail

The harbor teems with teams of men,
That grunt and grumble as they work –
A raucous din this day again –
As slaves and all discomfits burke.

But jostle through the crowded spaces,
And on the furthest quay, in peace,
A ship awaits to test the graces
Of Great Poseidon’s stormy seas.

The Mermaid looking from the prow
Shall see the star to which it’s bound;
The sails are only filling now,
Yet none would turn the ship around.