Beacon In The Night
“This lighthouse is
The oldest one on Lake Superior.”
Michigan State Historic Preservation Office
I love our historic old lighthouses
Such a marvelous part of our history
Every time I’m out on the lake at night
I wonder who else this beacon does see
This very old lighthouse on Whitefish Point
Has been in operation, since back in 1849
When it was lit by its keepers, who lived there
Extremely trustworthy souls, from another time
These lighthouse keepers often lived with their families
Their very diligent purpose in life, was to help travelers
And their nightly lighting of the beacon, high upon a tower
Through the decades had saved many a storm-ravaged sailor
Today, in our modern era, these night beacons are now automated
And often, the old keeper’s house, now sits very forlorn and empty
But there are many eerie tales, from many of these historic lighthouses
Of sightings of an old keeper’s ghost, still ‘lighting the lamp’ so diligently
Very tragically, the storm-ravaged night the Edmund Fitzgerald was lost
There was a malfunction in the old beacon on the tower at Whitefish Bay
As her Captain and her crewmen, so desperately attempted to reach safety
They were swamped by a huge lake squall, and all 29 souls, perished that day
“The Captain wired in he had water coming in,
And the good ship and crew was in peril;
And later that night when his lights went out of sight,
Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
“Does anyone know where the love of God goes,
When the words turn the minutes to hours;
The searchers all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay,
If they'd had fifteen more miles behind her.”
Gordon Lightfoot,
The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald
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I found a web site few years back that lists most all the lighthouses in U.S. I need to do a search for that sight again.
Great imagery in this poem, Ed.
Blessings and Love - Micke
Newfie Hugs, Rose
fee
(((HUGS))) and much love, your friend in Tx., Karen Lynn. :D
Cheers,
Dan
You just have to drift down stream some more and I will wave at you as you drift by :)
I live on Lake St. Lawrence / St. Lawrence River
Have a good one
The Buzzard
God bless,
Lew
(((HUGS))) and love, Karla.
Thanks for the tour!
Georg