Lines from Oz
The Poetry of Brian Langley
I was inspired to write this poem by the erection of a plaque near where I live, listing the various ships that have been wrecked in the vicinity, the most famous of which was the Dutch East Indiaman "Vergult Draek" (spelling??) ("Gilt Dragon") wrecked in the early 1600s. There were some survivors from this tragedy, some of whom managed to sail a longboat to Batavia, Upon the return of a rescue party several months later, no trace was found of those that had remained behind.
3 other similar Dutch Shipwrecks have been found along our coast, the Batavia, Zuytdorp and Zeewick but there are at least two others that left Capetown in Africa, headed for Batavia
(now Jakarta), never to be seen again.
Perhaps this poem is the story of one of them
Shipwreck
I
t's been a week, we've seen no sun.For friends and family left behind,
For love I've never known.
But, mostly for myself I cry.
For I am here - alone.
© B.Langley 28/3/00