Instructions

Instructions

In times of famine
Lead lantern-laden horses 
Along the headland
To confuse with lights
Captains who might
Misjudge how close 
The coast is and break 
Their ships apart 
On black rocks
Then ring everyone
Awake with the bell
And tell them to
Have at it
Heave bags of meal
Meant for other mouths
Onto the horses’ backs
And sway triumphantly
Into the village
But don’t kill the crew
Let them woo and marry
Your daughters who
Within a year will give birth
To blue-eyed children
Who can never seem to
Stop staring at the sea