Nitetime down at Beaufort town (fragment)

Miles above the rest

Nitetime down at Beaufort town
beside a silent sea

Windless ship came sailing in
and gliding up to me

Pilot called, "Oh, step aboard
and leave this empty strand

sail aboard across the sea
to far and distant land

silent crossing waveless main
to where the shadows band."

"Not tonite," I echoed back,
"I've work that yet remains,

child to rear and wife to tend
and smiles before they weep."

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