Old Sailors Two tars talked of sealing and sailing; one said with a sigh “Remember gulls wheeling and wailing, we wondering why, “And noting bells pealing, sun paling - it vanished like pie! “And then the boat heeling, sky hailing, the wind getting high, “And that drunken Yank reeling to railing and retching his rye, “John missing his Darjeeling jailing, and calling for chai? “While we battened, all kneeling and nailing, the hurricane nigh, “And me longing for Ealing, and ailing?” His mate said “Aye-aye; “I could stand the odd stealing, food staling, not fit for a sty, “And forget any feeling of failing, too vast to defy – “Home-leaving your paint-peeling paling too far to espy – “All because of the healing friend-hailing, the hello! and hi! “And, with the gulls squealing, quick-scaling the mast to the sky.” Robin Helweg-Larsen |
If you have any comments on this poem, Robin Helweg-Larsen would be pleased to hear them.
