What's on it? Extra Cheese

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This is an old sonnet written back in college. I wrote it after seeing a photo of the Sargasso Sea, a large area off the Gulf Stream where sailing vessels often were becalmed amidst a thick body of kelp. Ancient mariners stuck in the torpor and heat of the blazing sun would long for the coolness of evening; and their thoughts would drift to introspection...

On such still nights as these, the sail-hung spars
glow bright o'er the hulk of this brigantine,
Chasing the fickle fortunes of the stars
across this endless scenery of green.

The silvered moon above the cobalt night
renders the silent sea with gilded brush,
chasing shadow into shimmering light;
and melting dark to effervescent slush.

In these times of nocturnal reflection,
when the wind is stilled and the sea is calm,
I divest my soul of pained expression
and wrap myself in soft moonlight's balm.

In the depths of the sea, too deep to show,
All that I treasure lies buried below.

What I remember most about this sonnet is that my English professor circled the word "effervescent" with a question mark and wrote "is this a word?" next to it. So disappointing, really... How to lose your students' respect in one easy step --- not bothering to consult a dictionary or thesaurus.

 

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