The Life and Lesson of Gil Eannes

My name is Gil Eannes, a Portuguese explorer
I hail from Lagos, the royal shield I bear
My master Henry is the son 
Of King Joao of Aviz
Who freed us from the weight of the Castilians

As I ride along the cliffs of the village of Salema
The warm sun sinks into my soul
I see men with their sons
Catching fish from the deep sea
A bond formed for many generations

I look back on my life and the men who came before me
The knights who fought and died for my people
I was named after Dom Gil Martins
The first Grandmaster
Of the Order of Christ, the new Knights Templar

The next Grandmaster, King Joao of Aviz
Hired me in his service
And I grew to know his son
Henry the Navigator
My prince, my teacher, my liege

Schooled in the south by the prince of my homeland
At the edge of the world down in Sagres
We learned the seas and the stars
And tools of navigation
We made maps of the Algarve cliffs and caverns 

My first voyage was to sail where none other had before me
Beyond Cape Bojador 
Beyond the sea of darkness
Yet maps and tools were no match
For a storm forced me to land in the Canarias

My second try was a success in 1434
A ship with two sets of sails
The caravel design of my master
I sailed into the wind
And found Saint Mary’s rose

You may not know my name but you surely know my master
This is an allegory of Jesus the Messiah
Without His lessons and design
I would be lost in the sea of darkness
My successes come through Him and through His Father

by Royce Waxenfelter

10/29/21