Part I
revived in the following half-light
I was saved by the bouyant casks
afloating we were the barrels and I
among the monsterous tangles of vegetable appendages
I noticed the ship ahead aways
with a sigh of great relief
but then a far-away sun crawled slowly o'er
the nightmare of legends foretold

before me the fabled graveyard of ghost ships
forever entangled in tentacles of weed
the ship lay against a macabre horizon
as shredded rigging, skeletal masts
creaked Sargasso's welcome... with dank mist
an air of doom hung ominous
then I thought for a moment there was silence...

Part II
from the east came the sound of unearthly voices
their bizarre song grew, mocking hopes of rescue
I heard the hellish chorus pass my by unnoticed
parting a matted clump of weed, I was sorry for what I saw

two longboats pulled by the withered limbs
of beings decrepit, yet awesomely powerful
tattered clothes and extreme age showed
these oarsmen were the ancient rowers
swimming beside at incredible speed
shrieking, wailing she-creatures
barred their salt swollen teeth
fixedly eyeing the nearing fresh cargo

chaos struck!

clawing, climbing scaling sides in overwhelming rage
a swarming, frantic bedlam
onto the dazed and wounded crew
overpowerd - overboard
the wretched, weakened men were thrown to sea hags
pulling them under water white with trashing
but then still...

Part III
only my nearness to the attacking menaces
stilled my cries of anguish and fear
but nothing I had seen
prepared me for what was to follow

the captain unlocking his cabin came forth
to greet the rowers as comrades as one
and they smiled together that ancient smile
as the bodies surfaced down below
his loathsome resemblance to them was now clear
had he brought us here to drown
in this salt water Hell?
with a wave of his hand
they dove to join their loathsome counterparts
tearing and snatching
at the brine-bloated bodies of my crew mates

grinding molars jammed bloody flesh
through well-muscled throats
livid jaws grinned, ravenous and gleeful
at the hideous slaughter
with demonic passion they devoured oblivious
choking and vomiting and gasping for more

some wrenched-off whole limbs
feasting viciously
others preferred carcasses
savoring innards and entrail
hags circled
in a slavering feeding frenzy
engulfed in pink froth and manflesh
a merciful faint overtook me...