The Bathybic
bathybic (bath-i-bik) adjective. pertaining to or dwelling in the deepest zone of the sea.
Down fathomless fathoms (and then many more),
at the stygian depth of the ocean’s last floor,
below the fell mermaids who hunt in bright schools,
lies the bone-crushing kingdom the Bathybic rules.
As eons flit past it engulfs the abyss,
succumbing to sleep in leviathan bliss,
appeased by the treasure that blankets its bed
and sunken armadas that cradle its head.
Glossary:
appeased (uh-peezd) verb. 1. to bring to a state of peace, quiet, ease, calm, or contentment; pacify; soothe: to appease an angry king. 2. to yield or concede to the belligerent demands of (a nation, group, person, etc.) in a conciliatory effort, sometimes at the expense of justice or other principles.
fathom (fath-uhm) noun. a unit of length equal to six feet (1.8 meters): used chiefly in nautical measurements. verb. to measure the depth of by means of a sounding line; sound.
leviathan (li-vahy-uh-thuhn) noun. 1. a sea monster. 2. any huge marine animal. 3. anything of immense size and power.
stygian (stij-ee-uhn) adjective. 1. of or relating to the river Styx or to Hades. 2. dark or gloomy.
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Illustrations by David Deen
