In Mid-October Late At Night

In mid-October, late at night
Columbus on the deck
Observed across the sea a bright,
Considerable speck;

Aware that it could only mean
A fire had been lit,
In that direction it was seen
Columbus steered for it.

It was a momentary flame
And vanished at a glance
But having seen it steeled his aim
And steadied his advance.

The apparition and its glow
Encouraged him to mark
His bearings by, to steer as though
It still shone in the dark.

The light was proof of fire where
No fire ought to be
Unless what he saw over there
Proved he had crossed the sea;

And since he followed in its wake
Although it shone no more
It proved the gleam was no miistake
That ushered him ashore.