Poetry

Monday, 21 December 2020

The story of two monks

They said he was book bound,

And that he was bound to die

They said he was book bound

But in the morning the pages would dry


Well now brother my heart rests on the book that you have left behind

Put your vest back on, take up your oars go back for my book you must find


They said he was book bound,

And that he was bound to die

They said he was book bound

But in the morning the sea gulls would cry


Oh father Cadoc how could I ever

Have forgotten the book of your pride

Just don't make me go out on the water

I am exhausted and the sunlight has nearly died


They said he was book bound,

And that he was bound to die

They said he was book bound

But in the morning the mages would sigh


Now then Baruc you will serve your master?

Make your way down to the water side

There is still light and you can avoid disaster

Return to me my book, before the ink on my page has dried


They said he was book bound,

And that he was bound to die

They said he was book bound

But in the morning the pages would fly


And he left his quill in the ink well

And in the quill the ink did rise

And when his pen was full he put its tip to paper

And he continued to write his next lines


They said he was book bound,

And that he was bound to die

They said he was book bound

But you must read between the lines


And so Baruc went back out on the water

In his sweat and the tears that he cried

For he was more than wet from the river

And with a shiver set back out on the tide


They said he was book bound,

And that he was bound to die

They said he was book bound

But you must read between the lines


And brother Baruc went into the water

He pushed his boat out into the tide

And he fought the storm that ravaged each quarter

And he fought the thought that he might surely die


They said he was book bound,

And that he was bound to die

They said he was book bound

But in the morning the soothsayers would sigh


Oh master, my master, why have you forsaken me

These 8 miles I row for your pride

I pray to God the sea serpents won't awaken seas

And drag me down where the river bed lies


They said he was book bound,

And that he was bound to die

They said he was book bound

But by the morning the wagers would lie


After many long hours of rowing his river boat reached Flatholm's side

And he staggered up to the hermit's hovel and returned with a book in his hand

Oh curse this old book and its pages, I curse this book of his pride

And he thirst for water for ages, but he set out in his boat for Barry's land


They said he was book bound,

And that he was bound to die

They said he was book bound

But in the morning the driftwood would dry


And the darkness drifted all around him

The moon was beginning to hide

Yet his oars kissed the waves that would not drown him

Except for the cursed book by his side


They said he was book bound,

And that he was bound to die

They said he was book bound

And in the morning his mother would cry


And upon the horizon a white squall was gathering

Then lightning split and he was swallowed inside

The blown sea fog, and wind waves were lathering

That whipped up the sea's grog to infernal chide


They said he was book bound,

And that he was bound to die

They said he was book bound

But in the morning the sages would cry


In a sudden swell the book fell far into the stern

And Baruc reached down to gather it

But the sea dogs wave did slather and spit

And in a snarling bite snatched away his free oar

And as he hugged Cadoc's book to his chest

His boat was rocked and spun asunder

In the thrashing maelstrom and thunder

And overturned the book went under

But bobbed up on the otherside


Oh father, father your book was harder

To hook than my journey to paradise

And I lose faith that in my task I am a failure

But in my heart I know God must be on my side


They said he was book bound,

And that he was bound to die

They said he was book bound

But the notes in the margins would dry


And Baruc clung to the keel, with Cadog's book his achilles heel

And he could begin to feel numb cold seeping into his limbs

And through the outrageous winds he held the book fast

And fastened it with bowline strings to the hull

But time and tide wait for no man, 

And soon seawater had filled his lungs by the brimful 


They said he was book bound,

And that he was bound to die

They said he was book bound

But in the morning the gulls would cry


While Baruc was drowning, Cadog was frowning

The wind was blowing a gale outside

But he kept on writing, with his candle flame fighting

The storms breath breathing as his ink it dried


They said he was book bound,

And that he was bound to die

They said he was book bound

But in the morning the wreckages would testify


When finally the dawn broke in the morning

St Cadog saw Baruc's body afloat on the tide

And he went down to see the ship wreck, the flotsam and jetsam

He said a prayer, salvaged his book and then went back inside


They said he was book bound,

And that he was bound to die

They said he was book bound

But by the morning the pages would dry


Baruc's body was buried in a tomb on Barry island

And St Cadog went back to his hermitage on the Flatholm side

And as Cadoc read his tombe on Flatholm island

He thought the only thing that's true was that the Word had never died


They said he was book bound,

And that he was bound to die

They said he was book bound

But now ink on the pages has dried

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