Login
|
Join PoetrySoup
Home
Submit Poems
Login
Sign Up
Member Home
My Poems
My Quotes
My Profile & Settings
My Inboxes
My Outboxes
Soup Mail
Contest Results/Status
Contests
Poems
Poets
Famous Poems
Famous Poets
Dictionary
Types of Poems
Videos
Resources
Syllable Counter
Articles
Forum
Blogs
Poem of the Day
New Poems
Anthology
Grammar Check
Greeting Card Maker
Classifieds
Quotes
Short Stories
Member Area
Member Home
My Profile and Settings
My Poems
My Quotes
My Short Stories
My Articles
My Comments Inboxes
My Comments Outboxes
Soup Mail
Poetry Contests
Contest Results/Status
Followers
Poems of Poets I Follow
Friend Builder
Soup Social
Poetry Forum
New/Upcoming Features
The Wall
Soup Facebook Page
Who is Online
Link to Us
Member Poems
Poems - Top 100 New
Poems - Top 100 All-Time
Poems - Best
Poems - by Topic
Poems - New (All)
Poems - New (PM)
Poems - New by Poet
Poems - Random
Poems - Read
Poems - Unread
Member Poets
Poets - Best New
Poets - New
Poets - Top 100 Most Poems
Poets - Top 100 Most Poems Recent
Poets - Top 100 Community
Poets - Top 100 Contest
Famous Poems
Famous Poems - African American
Famous Poems - Best
Famous Poems - Classical
Famous Poems - English
Famous Poems - Haiku
Famous Poems - Love
Famous Poems - Short
Famous Poems - Top 100
Famous Poets
Famous Poets - Living
Famous Poets - Most Popular
Famous Poets - Top 100
Famous Poets - Best
Famous Poets - Women
Famous Poets - African American
Famous Poets - Beat
Famous Poets - Cinquain
Famous Poets - Classical
Famous Poets - English
Famous Poets - Haiku
Famous Poets - Hindi
Famous Poets - Jewish
Famous Poets - Love
Famous Poets - Metaphysical
Famous Poets - Modern
Famous Poets - Punjabi
Famous Poets - Romantic
Famous Poets - Spanish
Famous Poets - Suicidal
Famous Poets - Urdu
Famous Poets - War
Poetry Resources
Anagrams
Bible
Book Store
Character Counter
Cliché Finder
Poetry Clichés
Common Words
Copyright Information
Grammar
Grammar Checker
Homonym
Homophones
How to Write a Poem
Lyrics
Love Poem Generator
New Poetic Forms
Plagiarism Checker
Poetics
Poetry Art
Publishing
Random Word Generator
Spell Checker
Store
What is Good Poetry?
Word Counter
Email Poem
Your IP Address: 18.223.162.48
Your Email Address:
Required
Email Address Not Valid.
To Email Address:
Email Address Not Valid.
Required
Subject
Required
Personal Note:
Poem Title:
Poem
In homage to the waters around the UK and all those who sail them... Late at night and early dawn Like clockwork - every day are heard Those dulcet tones “set fair” to warn With poetic, most prophetic words What lies in wait just off our shores? (Which seem so very far from home) Where lashing rain and winds of force See Salty Seadogs battered; blown By storms... but these will clear; will pass It has been stated; thus foretold Like crystal ball or looking glass To comfort sailors brave and bold For all my life a fascination And still today I find that I’m Anxious with anticipation To learn ‘conditions maritime’ The thought of Thames; of Dover; Wight Of Lundy… I wax lyrical To capture my long-held delight In rhyme (or is that “Dogger”(el)? Enraptured every time I hear Those places of such mystery The pictures in my head are clear Tucked up in bed ... no wish to be In storm force winds in German Bight Or making headway out in Humber Or windswept by a Viking night Whilst they are there… I safely slumber In Faeroes, Forties, Forth, Biscay Perhaps in Shannon, Portland, Hebrides Those bobbing boats will cut their way More safely through unsettled seas In North and South Utsire waves form In Cromarty the seas are rough Will Tyne and Fisher bear a storm? In Trafalgar... is the going tough? Will warnings of a storm wind mean A night of fighting elements? Will calmer Fitzroy set the scene For ships to sail with elegance? Will raging gales in Bailey thwart The hardiest of Naval “Sole” Or will they give it not a second thought? Will South-East Iceland take its toll? Or forewarned, forearmed, such wisdom used May lessen any perils faced Will knowledge gained by Shipping News Make the Irish Sea a safer place? Will Lundy, Fastnet, all the while Take courage, strength and fortitude? Will you face the rigours of Fair Isle? What kind of test will Rockall prove? Will Malin treat you kindly or Be as devilish as it may be? And Plymouth – being close to shore Will that prove to be a sanctuary? Four hundred words (just less) to say That which all sailors need to hear To guide; to set aside; allay Their deepest worries; darkest fears Each time I hear the Shipping Forecast I offer up a silent prayer I listen, transfixed, to the broadcast And think “Stay Safe and Take Good Care; ….May time and tide grant fairer days” And if I had my way, I would Bless all who sail the ocean waves With “South-west; “Three-to-Four”; and “Good”
CAPTCHA Preview
Type the characters you see in the picture
Required