Drift

The fair wind failed. The wind dropped. Winds were unfavourable 
straightaway. The favourable wind dropped and they were beset by 
storms so that they made little progress. Then the wind dropped and 
they were beset by winds from the north and fog; for many days they 
did not know where they were sailing. The fair wind failed and they 
wholly lost their reckoning. They did not know from what direction. 
Driven here and there. The fog was so dense that they lost all sense 
of direction and lost their course at sea. There was much fog and the 
winds were light and unfavourable. They drifted far and wide on the 
high sea. Most of those on board completely lost their reckoning. 
The crew had no idea in which direction they were steering. A thick 
fog which did not lift for days. The ship was driven off course to 
land. They were tossed about at sea for a long time and failed to 
reach their destination. We embarked and sailed but a fog so thick 
covered us that we could scarcely see the poop or the prow of the 
boat








Then the wind ddroppe and they were beset by w inds from then 
orth and fog for manyd ays they did not know where they were 
sailing Thef air wind f ailed and they wholly l ost their reck their 
reckoning did not not know from what direction D riven here and 
there The f og was sodense that they l ost all ss ense of dirrrtion and 
l ost thr course at sea There was much fog and the w inds were light 
and unf and unfavourable They driftedf ar and wide on the high sea 
Mo stof those onboard completly l ost l ost l ost their reckoning Th 
ec rew had no idea in which direction they were ststeering A thick 
fo g which d i d n ot l ift for days The sh ip was driven offf course tol 
and They were ossted about astea for a longt ime and f iled tor each 
their destination We mbarkt and sailed but a fog so th but a fog so 
th but a fog so th th th th thik k overed us that we could scarcely see 
the poop or the prow of the boa t 








str  ght w   Th  f  r w nd f  l d Th  w nd dr pp d Th  f v  r bl  
w nd dr pp d  nd th   w r  b s t b st rms s  th t th   m d  
l ttl  pr gr ss Th n th  w nd dr pp d  nd th   w r  b s t by w nds 
fr m the n rth  nd f g f r m ny d ys th y d d n t kn w wh r  th y 
w r  s  l ng Th  f  r w nd f  l d  nd th y wh ll  l st th  r r ck th  r
r ck n ng Th y d d n t kn w fr m wh t d r ct  n D r v n h r   nd 
th r  Th  f g w s s  d ns  th t th y l  st  ll ss  ns  f d rrrt  n  nd 
l  st thr c  rs  t s   Th r  w s m ch f g  nd th  w  nds w r  l ght 
 nd unf  nd  nf v   r bl  They dr ft df  r  nd w d   n th  h gh s  
M  st  f th se   nb  rd c mpl tly l  st l  st l  st th  r r ck n ng Th  
 c r w h d 

n   d    n wh ch d r ct  n th y w r  stst  ring   th ck f  g wh ch d  
d n  t l  ft f r d ys The sh  p 

w s dr ven  fff c  rse t l  nd Th y w r   sst d  b    t  st    f r  
l ngt  me and f  led t r   ch th  r 

ث فاير وعند فيلد

aaaaaaaaaaaaaथे फेअर विंड फैलेड 
aaaaaaaaaaaaaथे फेअर विंड फैलेड
aaaaaaaaaaaaaथे फेअर विंड फैलेड
aaaaaaaaaaaaaथे फेअर विंड फैलेड

We thought of all the generations gone
Like that aaaa migrants, fugitives.

The smell of smoke takes memory by surprise
And we become as children 

the children

उन्थिन्किन्ग

Unthinking,

their shadow lengthened and cast away 

(Nemerov, more and less)

It is the end of November,
and still there is light in the sky. Old time still read off my inner wrist, holds me still. I only have to close my eyes to remember another country with its old stone walls cast in deep shadows. A place of dead languages, an old way of speaking, that I carry with me as I drift into the new year.