L Milton Hankins Poet Villanelle

Delta Queen

Excitement filled the air as the calliope played
News spread the famed steamboat was near,
Its whimsical gingerbread trimmings displayed.

The whole town would rush to the esplanade
As the wildly anticipated boat pulled into pier,
Excitement filled the air as the calliope played.

If an overnighter, folks walked the promenade,
Marveling at its size and the exquisite exterior
Its whimsical gingerbread trimmings displayed.

I had heard one could go onboard, if one paid
Even get to see a riverboat show, a premiere.
Excitement filled the air as the calliope played.

What a difference Delta Queen’s arrival made!
Soon she would be decommissioned, the fear
Its whimsical gingerbread trimmings displayed.

I remember well how by the riverbank she lade
Like a fabulous ornate coffin lying upon the bier
Excitement filled the air as the calliope played
Its whimsical gingerbread trimmings displayed. 

Written April 6, 2022
[The Delta Queen, a national treasure, has not
travelled the Ohio River on a regular schedule
since the 1970s.]

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Caren Krutsinger April 8, 2022 at 4:54 AM "The whole town would rush to the esplanade As the wildly anticipated boat pulled into pier, Excitement filled the air as the calliope played." - I will no longer be satisifed until I hear a calliope now. L Milton Hankins April 8, 2022 at 8:54 AM Have you never heard a calliope??? They are enchanting.

Marco Chies April 6, 2022 at 6:32 PM I read somewhere that the boat was hit and damaged by a hurricane... L Milton Hankins April 6, 2022 at 7:14 PM That's entirely possible, Marco. I think she was in bad shape when she was decommissioned in the 70s. She changed several hands, but I'm not up on her fate. That's been 50 years ago, of course.

Bill Baker April 6, 2022 at 4:45 PM A nice piece of American history displayed through your eloquent poetry my friend. Write On! Bill L Milton Hankins April 6, 2022 at 6:07 PM Bill, I'm glad you read about the Delta Queen. It's a sad story now.

Jenna Logan April 6, 2022 at 4:17 PM She was quite a regal lady. L Milton Hankins April 6, 2022 at 4:20 PM She was, indeed. I wish she was still coming to the Ohio in the summertime. I think she may have been refurbished and may be seen in the lower and upper Mississippi, but I'm not sure. Thanks for the read, Jenna.

Andrea Dietrich April 6, 2022 at 12:36 PM Very nicely rhymed and formatted. It's sad to see these treasures all disappearing. You did the Delta Queen proud. L Milton Hankins April 6, 2022 at 1:31 PM Andrea, thank you so much. I was always thrilled to see the Delta Queen, a grand old riverboat. I suppose we'll never see the likes of her again on the Ohio.

Jeff Kyser April 6, 2022 at 12:27 PM Sounds nice! I remember going to see the Queen Mary as a kid in California, and being able to step through (with a little stooping) the nut that held one of the propellers on. That was a big boat! L Milton Hankins April 6, 2022 at 12:32 PM Indeed! I never got the pleasure of seeing the Queen Mary. The Delta Queen was a big event in our little town. I lived in New Matamoras at the time. Literally shops would close and everyone would come to the river to see her. I took a riverboat cruise with dinner a couple of years back, but it was a much less grand affair. Still, expensive.