And All I Ask is a Tall Ship and a Star to Steer Her By

And All I Ask is a Tall Ship and a Star to Steer Her By

By John Mase­field

I must go down to the seas again
to the lonely sea and sky
And all I ask is a tall ship
and a star to steer her by
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song
and the white sail’s shak­ing
And a gray mist on the sea’s face,
and a gray dawn break­ing.

I must go down to the seas again
for the call of the run­ning tide
Is a wild call and a clear call
That may not be de­nied
And all I ask is a windy day
with the white clouds fly­ing
And the flung spray and the blown spume
and the sea-gulls cry­ing.

I must go down to the seas again
to the va­grant gypsy life
To the gull’s way and the whale’s way
where the wind’s like a whet­ted knife
And all I ask is a merry yarn
from a laugh­ing fel­low-rover
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream
when the long trick’s over.