The Lono

(Captain Cook)

And then the impossible happened
You who were so wise
Became a man of fury
I could not trust my eyes
My Captain who sailed the Antarctic
My Captain of Botany Bay
Who observed the Transit of Venus
The one I would proudly obey

The hero of our transgressions
Not cruel like Lieutenant Bligh
Not pompous like that botanist
Not vain like the native Omai
Not delicate like the artist
Forgiving, gentle and true
The god-man who was repeatedly stabbed
To the horror of all of our crew

The Owhyans called you the Lono
You were welcomed with utter respect
Yet you became a manic man
When they stole two goats from our deck
And then the impossible happened
This third trip – to you - was too much
You burned a native village
You’d lost your human touch

Oh Captain, Captain I fear you
I fear your sudden rage
I’ve seen you sail twice round the planet
Now you have suddenly changed
Your temperamental outbursts
Are something new to me
But strange things happen to the greatest of men
On uncharted sea

Your judgement was once immaculate
From the Arctic to Cape Horn
You perfect navigator
I now wish you’d never been born
We know you are a genius
Your accuracy stands
This third trip proves that you are just another
Prick of a white man

They would not stab you to your face
They feared the fire-rod
The Owhyans stabbed you in the back
That’s how they kill a god
And me, I feel so frightened
How much must we try?
Oh Captain dreadful in failure
Is this your mission to die?

I returned home to Whitby
I dared not make love to my wife
With genital disorders
And a shoulder wound from a knife
I cannot explain to my neighbours
No matter how hard I try…
My fear for the South Pacific
And the newly-captained Bligh

2002