The Ship of Stars
Silence haunts the deck.
If you pause and listen,
you too can hear
star-shine glisten.
Celestial songs chime;
an angel’s feather falls
like a rhyme through the night;
a shred of cold light to illuminate
the way ahead. At the tiller,
the captain grips the ship’s wheel,
as a lighthouse of fireflies
steals a way through grim rocks.
The canvas sails clatter in the wind
as if clapping hands.
Portholes are pale moons.
Cabin lanterns are tiny suns.
The hull is a curve of coloured teak.
Sailors creak across deck
where starfish flounder
and with one eye on the telescope
they watch the night’s speckled face glint,
watch the sea’s freckles glisten,
watch the moon mouthing
a prayer –
as the ship of stars
sails towards the brightness
of what dawn offers the world.
If you pause and listen,
you too can hear
star-shine glisten.
Celestial songs chime;
an angel’s feather falls
like a rhyme through the night;
a shred of cold light to illuminate
the way ahead. At the tiller,
the captain grips the ship’s wheel,
as a lighthouse of fireflies
steals a way through grim rocks.
The canvas sails clatter in the wind
as if clapping hands.
Portholes are pale moons.
Cabin lanterns are tiny suns.
The hull is a curve of coloured teak.
Sailors creak across deck
where starfish flounder
and with one eye on the telescope
they watch the night’s speckled face glint,
watch the sea’s freckles glisten,
watch the moon mouthing
a prayer –
as the ship of stars
sails towards the brightness
of what dawn offers the world.
This poem is copyright (©) Pie Corbett 2025
About the Writer
Pie Corbett
Pie Corbett is an English educational trainer, writer, storyteller and poet. He has edited 24 anthologies and his collection, ‘Evidence of Dragons’ is a classroom staple. He was writer-in residence at the Kent festival, and has appeared at the Cheltenham and Edinburgh Festivals. He has worked on BBC radio and tv programmes, was nominated for a BAFTA and the Japanese Prize for educational tv. He is well-known for creating the Talk for Writing approach to learning, which is widely used within UK primary schools and around the world. A new collection is appearing in September from Otter-Barry Books, titled Dragon Cat.
