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Poem
Dedicated to the Officers and crew of
USS Columbia (SSN 771)

Goodbye Sun

We are welcomed by men in 
immaculate whites
Through a hatch
we descend a steep ladder
into "The Last Slider"

From a narrow corridor we enter
into the brain and nerves
of this vessel- 
To my untrained eye the confusion
of cables overhead is bewildering
This black ship of stealth
tracks the world outside,
silently invisible itself

Rows of monitors, sonar devices
high powered periscopes
all with a myriad of buttons to push-
A marvel of technology -
yet men are the heart and soul
of this great ship

They are Submariners

They say goodbye to the sun
for months on end
Week after harrowing week they spend
day after day on grinding drills
where the only thrill is their daily meals
Systematic, methodical
They are human- in a ship of war
but a ship that exists for freedom

The Officers guide us through each section
The ship at rest has released them
from an endless commitment but
with a practiced eye
they are still attuned to every detail


Commanders almost prescient
so in step with every procedure
they can sense malfunction in their sleep
I notice the commitment to excellence
I note the pride behind the
preparations for our inspection
Blue curtains with the ships insignia
are drawn on bunk beds
Shiny copper engine parts, clean bright paint
reflects the values of those who
keep their vessel, ship-shape

Now I stand in the nose where the
weapons rest
The metal tubes look benign
for all the power they contain
Ironically in rows, directly above,
the crew's bunks are located-
in tiers of three -even sleep
 is regimented
Photos of family are the only
human touch in
this dark, black, whale 
of a vessel

The sense of duty for each individual
seems overwhelming
There is a spirit of complete trust
between them
This is a world for honorable men

"Victory is Silence"
I try to imagine daily living
the self-containment
the steely discipline
the choosing to go forward in the face of
uncertainty
Precision and man - morphing
The pact between Submariners is
absolute. 
They move as one.

BRIAN'S CHOICE K,any form,any theme
Contest Judged:  5/19/2020 12:08:00 AM
Sponsored by: Brian Strand 
3rd Place
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