The Wharves at Uskdara on the Bosphorus

By Robert James DeBurgh (Poet)

Oh!
Early morning fog surrounds the wharves at USKDARA.
Along the Sea of Marmara
Along the banks, I have seen Old Ships snooze like
Swans Asleep
Upon the Sea of Marmara
Where are a few of these ships that will go on their overseas foreign voyages
To other Places, there.
But soft! Pause a while for Thoughtful Reflection.

Oh! How like unto the souls of Men are these Old Ships!
Yea! Even with nascent wings a-flapping in the breeze from the seas.
Their tattered sailcloth corners crack like the smack o' the Lash on the back of
Jack Tar
For favouring Rum before Sodomy, or vice-versa. Whatever.

As the hulls of each vessel rises and dips on th' incoming tide
Oh! The seas of the Soul are very wide, as we ride their waves
Buffeted from cradles to graves. But she who saves our souls from t' infernal caves
Braves the storms, for us. Yea! For us.
Therefore softly, O noble one! Take care how your holds be caulked, lest
You be baulked on your VOYAGE GRAND, to Byzantium.
Yea! Byzantium! That Magic Land!!!

Constantinople 1890

NOTES ON PROVENANCE:
The above Work of the Master, while unusual in that it is one of RJ de B's more "Philosophical" Works (B. Svertlovich feels certain the Master was unwell that day...), has an equally Unusual history...
The location of the Original Work is unknown, neither is it known whether it actually exists!!! That it IS a Work of the Master, however, is beyond all doubt!
This particular piece was discovered in Crete in 1913, by an itinerant dockside prostitute known only as "Maria". According to her it was tattooed across the chest of one of her, Ahem.... "Clients", whose name escapes her.
However, to quote an excerpt from an interview conducted with "Maria", by one of the Society's founders (Klaus Geschtumphenheim)
"she described him as being "average build, possibly Scandinavian, or maybe German, possibly quite deranged. Oooooh! What was his name!! It's on the tip of my tongue.... Olaf? No, longer than that... Rudolf? No, too long.... But I'm sure it ended in OLF.... Never mind.... He had this funny little moustache though..... Not even big enough to tickle..." She then went on to describe in sordid detail some of his errr.... Somewhat unusual Preferences and how in the Ahem... Heat of the moment, shall we say, she recognised the Tattoo for what it was, and committed it to memory. Modesty prevents me from saying more... There may, after all, be Ladies reading this."

So there you have it.... A Most Interesting mystery... Compounded by the fact that both "Maria" and Herr Geschtumphenheim subsequently disappeared.....
We may never know the truth....