Eliza's Wait
C. Maggie Woychik
On rainy, thunderous nights,
they say she paces, weeping, up the coast –
the coast of Newfoundland’s dark bay,
wails poor Eliza’s ghost.
Some forty years ago he left,
some forty years been gone;
Liza said she’d wait for him
and still she sings his song.
His boat set sail a bright March dawn,
he swore a shortened trip;
but only after months of wait
did Liza see that ship.
It docked a rainy, thunderous night
as darkness pressed around;
it docked in Newfoundland’s dark bay
where sailors come aground.
She searched the site and asked of him
with hope in every word,
though none could answer of her love,
but what each man had heard.
“We left him off near Baffin Bay,
he had a job to do;
He urged us journey on alone –
he’d sail again when through.
“He joined a ship soon after
and set about toward home,
but not a word’s been heard since then,
and here you stand alone.”
Eliza walked the shore that night
as water mingled down,
and no one’s seen poor Liza since
that sorrow ran aground.
On rainy, thunderous nights, they say,
she paces, calling up the coast –
the coast of Newfoundland’s black bay,
calls Liza’s lovesick ghost.
Will Liza’s sailor hear her call?
Will calling bring him home?
Some say a ship is seen by night
upon the waves of foam.
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Maggie Woychik has over 70 published articles, poems, and book reviews in magazines such as Young Salvationist, Christian Home and School, Woman’s Touch (Leadership Edition), Purpose, Christian Women Today e-zine, Seek, Women Alive!, Evangel, Cross & Quill, Wesleyan Life, War Cry and others.
She is currently editing her first young adult novel and preparing a book of poems. Her blog, directed primarily to homeschoolers seeking publication, can be found here:
http://msghomeschoolauthors.blogspot.com/
