The Halstead Creative Writing Group meet every month at The Little Book Cafe. A friendly group of people who share an enjoyment for writing. Each month the group agree a theme or topic which they then use for their 'homework'. Below is a short piece written by a member of the group, Dave Bryant. The topic for this piece of work was 'Stranded'.
The Pilgrim Trail
|
|
Sliding from the slipway on a pilgrim trail
Trying to catch a wind that would fill my sail Ran into a hurricane that made no sound Turned me inside out and ran me aground Ended up stranded in a dead-end bay There was no food or shelter, had to get away Fighting for survival i had to fly Before the situation could bleed me dry So i shoved of and made for the open sea Hungry for a haven that was warm and free But the breeze gave out as the night time fell I was becalmed, benighted and cold as hell Drifting around in a coal-black lake With a pounding in my head like my nerve would break I suddenly turned to see a pale blue light Across the water, almost out of sight My spirit was rising as i tracked that beam It was a beacon of hope in a nightmare dream Oh mystery light across the foam Keep shining bright, take me home Well i held my course as i rode the swell Dawn was breaking through and i was moving well Before too long i was heaving to I anchored in the habour where the light shone true The people gave me wine from a silver bowl And i found a little music to ease my soul I was feeling safe and it warmed my bones Seemed the kind of place i could make my home My body was weak and i needed to rest But i was caught in a vision like a man possessed I fell under the spell of this ‘promised land’ And i sold my soul to a building plan Well i gave myself to a working band Building a city in a valley of sand I laboured hard for seven long years But the valley of sand became a river of tears Didn’t notice the air turn heavy and warm I never heeded the signs of a gathering storm Oh mystery light across the foam Keep shining bright, take me home A tempest raged around that place There was fear and confusion on every face A hurricane swept through the valley floor And the city of dreams was a city no more I realised then it was all in vain And my heart was lost in grief and pain So i set my face towards the sun I had no strength to hide or run A fever left me on that day A spell was broken as i walked away I prayed the wild goose be my guide As i weighed my anchor on the morning tide Oh mystery light across the foam Keep shining bright, take me home The years have turned since i left that shore And i found some wisdom from the things i saw I’m no longer on a quest for the holy grail Just want a friendly breeze to catch my sail I’m not searching for a beacon across the sea Got that old blue light right here with me |
We would like to say a big thank you to Dave for allowing us to include his work on our website. If you would like to find out more about Pen Friends - The Halstead Creative Writing Group please contact us.