Commander's Tea

The commander of
Starlit time
Ripped out truncated
Sacks of black jasmine tea
Purloined from the wells of
Dragons, romantics,
And old widowers.

He struck a
Broken match
A broken chord
A broken bargain
Hoping to regain
A gasping chance
Of living past this night

His ship lay swollen
With the members of its
Ragtag crew
Deep in its endoplasmic underbelly

The parabolas of the hull
The circumference of the helm
The parallels of the coaming
And lacing of the crosstrees...

Ah, these he knew too well
He had none other
Than these for companions

The stasis of the ship
The purpose of the trip
Was gone now
Deliquesced...
Like the honey he had
With his tea

Drinking slowly
He looked up
At the ceiling of water
And watched the sun
Make its rounds
Over the tops of the waves.