The Legend of Blue Thunder

 

A harsh wind blows,

A shadow grows

And all is not well at sea…

The shipping lane

Bears evil’s bane

As we sing this old chanty:

Clouds gather

Near the blather

Of the Sea-Folk’s gentle song.

It’s from a cloud

That a dark shroud

Extends out, both wide and long.

It sinks down low

With gusty blow

And sets the clouds asunder…

But hark, what this

Beyond the mist?

Could that light be Blue Thunder?

That is it’s name,

This ship of fame

And here is it’s long-told tale:

The ship stood high,

It’s decks lay dry

Even against the cold gale.

Another ship

Wouldn’t last the trip

But to know of it today -

This ship came through,

Our mighty Blue,

Though bore damage on the way.

First one wave lashed,

Another splashed

And this drenched the Captain through!

Though panic not,

You doubting lot,

For ours is a mighty crew!

Drenched to the bone

With dreams of home

The sailors bore the wind’s bite.

They hoisted sail

And rode the gale

And left as day turned to night.

Without relent

The men all sent

A cheer into the night air

But they knew not

Of the dark plot

Being conceived way ‘out there’…

A huge wave swept,

Up the ship lept

Above the treacherous sea.

Then down it crashed,

It’s mast now smashed

Which caused the grim death of three.

Twenty there been

When ship last seen

But seventeen there now seemed.

Even this crew

Had lost a few

Which never they would have dreamed!

One more huge wave

And this time save

But fifteen fine Elves did die.

To save their friends

From their sad ends

All the men started to cry:

“Ahoy there fellows!”

As Captain bellows:

“Leave be and save yer own hide!”

Now, Captain Zapp,

A stoic chap,

Accepted his men had died

Though even he

Had felt empty

From those that he couldn’t save.

The ship got tossed,

Four more they lost

When swept out by a huge wave.

Eleven were left,

All stood bereft

(But one, who threw himself in).

Now there were ten

Of these fine men,

That’s ten less than they’d bargain.

Their end seemed nigh

When Mate did spy

A patch of sea that stayed clear.

“Look Sir, a gap!”

Said he to Zapp,

So towards it he did steer!

The waves were calm,

To Zapp’s alarm,

Though he thanked his Lucky Star.

So there they sat,

Said this and that

And they dreamt of home afar…

Now, legends tell

Of evil spell

That churns seas into a storm.

Though all the same

Every dark bane

Let’s pockets of hope to form.

The sea does live

So will not give

Itself all to evil’s way.

It’s life’s wonder

Which Blue Thunder

Saw all around them this day.

Now they could see

Ship’s enemy:

It was a snarling sea-beast!

It’s eyes bulging,

Mouth indulging

It’s hunger with this Elf-feast!

“There it can wait”

Said the First Mate,

(Him knowing of such creatures)

“It won’t come near

This patch of clear

As is one of its features

That evil roams

In its dark homes

And won’t touch anything pure.”

And right was he

As this calm sea

Was home to Spirit for sure!

Summon they did

As creature hid

To tell it of their peril.

A blue mist rose,

Then stopped and froze

Into form of Dylan-ail:

Spirit of yore

Whom since Great Thaw

Has dwelt far, way out to sea!

Elf-friend he is

As what was his

He bestowed land upon we.

“Look after land”

Was Spirit’s command,

“And I shall remain your friend.”

So that we will

Right up until

The day it’s the Sea Elves end.

While beast cowers,

With His powers

Spirit froze sea under ship.

The beast swam deep

To avoid creep

Of the ice’s sheer cold grip!

Elves of the sea

Are built hardy

And felt not the sheer frost’s bite

But needing kip

Spirit grabbed ship

And pushed it with all his might!

The crew did cry

A quick “Goodbye!”

And away Blue Thunder flew!

The ship slid fast

And broken mast

Was clung to by the fine crew.

It was not long

Until the song

Of the soft shore could be heard

So as ice melts

And rain still pelts

At least the brave crew now dared

To sit on sores

And get out oars

To row like lightning’s wonder!

For ‘twas these ten,

These finest men,

That brought home the Blue Thunder!