Watching A Sea Story

Earlier today in my post "Seawatching and Waiting" I asked my reader's help in finding the title and author of a poem accompanying the prologue of the music track "Seawatcher." Thanks to my English major undergrad bud, Russell Brittan, who is currently attending Humboldt State, I now know this information. The haunting poem "Watching: A Sea Story" was written by female American poet Ullie R Akerstrom in her 1884 self-published collection "Poems by Ullie". Frustratingly, I can find almost nothing about her online, not even a Wikipedia page. What I shared earlier as revealed in the music video was a highly edited version of the poem extracted from the complete original version featured below.

She stood alone on the wild sea shore, 

Her lover was far away, 

Yet she watched and waited for his return 

Patiently day by day. 

"'Tis many a day," I heard her say, 

"Since he sailed o'er the dark blue main, 

But I'll murmur not, he has not forgot, 

I know he will come again." 

O'er her brow so fair 

Her soft dark hair 

Was tossed by the wind so wild, 

Yet her eyes so true 

Scanned the Ocean's blue 

With the faith of a little child. 

But no welcome mast 

Her vision passed 

Though she watched with anxious pain, 

And whispered low: 

"He will come, I know 

Yes, he surely will come again."  

The year passed by, her soft dark eye 

Grew dim with watching long, 

Yet her heart's pure will was constant still, 

And her maiden love was strong; 

Yet she faded fast, and she died at last, 

Her watching all in vain. 

From the distant strand, of a foriegn land 

Her lover ne'er came again. 

O'er her brow so calm 

The summer long 

The roses bloom so pale, 

And the Robin's trill 

And the Whip-poor-will 

Her early death bewail. 

Yet I often dream, in the Twilight's gleam, 

I can hear her whisper low: 

"I will murmur not, he has not forgot, 

He will come again, I know."