“The Wooden Ship” is a vivid portrayal of sailors’ life during wartime. It commences with a stormy day, setting sail towards a northern bay, carrying crucial goods. Amidst struggles and hardships, there is rival humor and shared adversity. The poem reflects the sailors’ resilience against the stormy sea, their dreams of peace fueling their journey. The ship serves as their sanctuary, bringing them safely to land.
The Wooden Ship…
A Poem By Sandeep Vhandari
The winds begun so fierce today
And lashed the tiny cliffs,
Then eagles flew to northern bay
Towards the wooden ship.
The wooden ship across the sea
Which carried many goods:
What Else there? Barely, I could see
Almost all made of woods.
The workers carried the heavy sacks
And each of walked in pile.
One slipped off, hurt his back,
Then laughed the other in style.
Alert! Oh ‘tis the grains of life:Oh, we’re all starving, faded. This era of war, it makes alive.You soldiers, you’re all hated.
Our lives, you swapped it all away.
We aren’t secure this time.
The winds begun so fierce today
And lashed the tiny climbs.
The night is dark, the sea is deep,
Yet onward sails the ship.
While all the world is fast asleep,
It does not lose its grip.
The waves they clash, the winds they howl,
In this treacherous journey of ours.
Yet the ship sails on, the sea birds scowl,
As we count the passing hours.
Our dreams of peace in a distant land,
Keep us going through the strife.
With each grain of sand, we understand,
Such is the sailor’s life.
The dawn is here, the storm has passed,
The land is now in sight.
Our journey’s end is here at last,
After the long and frightful night.
We’ve braved the winds, we’ve braved the sea,
Our spirits, they never dipped.
Through it all, our sanctuary,
Has been our wooden ship.
summary
The sailors understand that their life is inextricably tied to each grain of sand, each moment of their journey. They acknowledge the strife, yet their spirits never waver. Their resilience is further underscored in their confrontation with the elements, braving the winds and the sea.
With the arrival of dawn, the storm subsides and the land comes into sight. Their long, frightful night culminates in the realization of their journey’s end. The sailors, who had been through hardships, finally find solace in the sight of land.
“The Wooden Ship” by Sandeep Vhandari is a profound exploration of the sailors’ life, especially during a tumultuous era of war. The poem opens with a description of a stormy day, the fierce winds lashing the tiny cliffs. Amid this, eagles take flight towards a northern bay where a wooden ship, carrying many goods, is about to embark on its journey.
The workers, characterized by their relentless efforts, are seen carrying heavy sacks, walking in piles. The atmosphere is gritty, yet not devoid of camaraderie and humor, as seen when one worker slips, injures his back, and another laughs in response. This scene sets the stage for the sailors’ resilience and unity in the face of adversity.
The poem then shifts to a grim note, highlighting the stark reality of war and its impact on the sailors. The ‘grains of life’ symbolize their desperate struggle for survival in harsh conditions. The sailors express their resentment towards soldiers, blaming them for swapping their lives away and creating an insecure environment.
As the night falls, the poem delves into the treacherous voyage. The ship sails through the dark and deep sea, battling the clashing waves and howling winds. Despite the world being fast asleep, the ship continues its course, not losing its grip. The sailors count the passing hours, their dreams of peace in a distant land serving as their beacon of hope.
Throughout the turmoil, their sanctuary has been their wooden ship. It served as their beacon in the storm, their haven in the war, and their carrier of dreams. The poem, in its entirety, presents a moving depiction of the sailors’ life, their struggles, dreams, resilience, and their unwavering faith in their wooden ship.
