25th November: A Poem for Vayda

We have just left Vayda Seamount and are now sampling on another seamount in the Researchers’ Seamount Chain.  The wonderful sampling that occurred at Vayda, inspired Mrs. Robinson to write an amazing poem:

The Vayda Seamount.

Four thousand metres to the sediment

picked out by the ROV’s beam against

the cliff side, a curious sponge, then space

And more space where the waters press

In prehistoric layers, compressed and chill

incomprehensibly down and down until

the valley floor, the deepest part

the underwater mountain range’s foot.

Paleologically quaternary?

Aeons and aeons, and a wary

Unknown sort of fish

Creeps by and slides, slowish

Past the camera’s eye,

while on the surface the scientists try

To follow on their multi-screens

An age of ages never seen .

Sarah Robinson, November 2013