Lowering the Union Jack, 1962

Like love ones come to view a parting ship Before the anchor lifts And its iron lips prow the salty waves We journeyed from our busy day and penny pay And the indifferent utterances to our cause We came tattlering and joking and tired Of the conditions simulating the bitter colonial We wiped the bread crumbs from our mouth Stood erect with eyes upon a pole And watch the tricolored form slithered down Head drooping in the gusty night And all the while Dura drums rolling softly Could not budge my steel convictions with fire I felt alone in the long uproar of crowd For I think I saw it winked an opulent eye Before the pole flagless stood silent in naked night.