Sam Scott | + Follow Poet |
Rhyme | + Fav Poem | Comment | Email | Print |

Notes About The Poem

"Come at once, we have struck a berg, it's a CQD old man."  - Jack Phillips, Wireless Operator

“The darkness grew apace; a cold wind began to blow in freshening gusts from the east, and the showering white flakes in the air increased in number. From the edge of the sea came a ripple and whisper.” - H.G. Wells, The Time Machine

-----
A Sam Scott poem:
14th April 1912
-----

Out of Time - Contest

Listen to poem:

I set the date
Hope I am not too late
To save some souls
From chilly fate

The year of our Lord
Dial one nine, one two
From my home-based lab
After locking in-situ

A gyro spins
A crackle, a flash
I land on the deck
With a terrible crash

Oh souls that surround me
Running here and around
Never notice my vehicle
Though designed to astound 

The floor is now jaunty
My breath like fresh mist
The critical moment I fear
I have missed

Make fast to the lifeboats
Although they are few
I frantically seek out
The captain and crew

"You can double the numbers.."
I cry with a shout
It's too late for they're pushing
The final boat out

I reach for my notepad
Complete these last lines
'Crisp bright morning air
Yet the darkest of times'

A note to myself
Set my machine now to 'home'
So she whirrs and she crackles
Takes instructions, alone

My vain hope is she 
Meets me in an earlier state
An inventor incumbent 
To change the course of this fate

Now my destiny sealed
By dark ice of the sea
As resigned I join singing;  
Nearer My God to Thee

Fast forward to now
Deep-sea divers explore
The old shipwreck is claimed 
By the ocean once more

Yet a mystery beckons
Cameras peer through the grime
Uncatalogued cargo
Out of luck, out of time

Please Login to post a comment

Tom Woody Date: 1/16/2024 7:02:00 PM Awesome contender Sam. Thanks for your support for the contest Login to Reply Sam Scott Date: 1/16/2024 9:16:00 PM Great Contest. Loved your rule-free approach! Looking forward to another.. some great entries. Thanks Tom.

Regina Mcintosh Date: 1/16/2024 5:48:00 AM So amazingly creative, inventive, inviting. Just love this. Should have won the top spot. love it. God bless you, love, Gina Login to Reply Sam Scott Date: 1/16/2024 6:08:00 AM That is so lovely of you to say, Gina x but alas the captain must go down with his ship.. (glad you liked it) ;)

Sara Kendrick Date: 1/15/2024 1:15:00 PM Nice futuristic tale told in poetic form. Creative of you to think of adding a time machine to the mix. Reads like a good contender to me. Way to go. Thanks for your visits to my page. Sara K Login to Reply Sam Scott Date: 1/15/2024 1:56:00 PM Thanks Sara, I love it when we can inspire each other with our different poetry :)

Ink Empress Date: 1/15/2024 11:51:00 AM Very unique and well written entry for this contest. I guess everyone gets inspired by titanic. While the tragedy was so haunting: the recent one of the submarine that went down to see titanic was even as bad. Truly. I dunno why i thought of that when i read this: maybe because of your lines “ Deep-sea divers explore The old shipwreck is claimed By the ocean once more” your poem i think is thr kind tom woody likes: so best wishes, and pleasure reading your work. Login to Reply Sam Scott Date: 1/15/2024 12:40:00 PM A slight departure for me in one sense, but I could not miss the opportunity to merge two realities; fictional classic from HG Wells and the (as you say) emotive tragedy of the 'unsinkable ship' (to paraphrase captain Smith). Pleasure reading your comments, Ink! It is going to a fascinating selection of entries - Tom picked a belter. Bless you :)

Sam Scott Date: 1/11/2024 9:57:00 PM CQD - "Seeking you. Distress!" (In case you were wondering) Introduced by Marconi, manufacturers of the ships radio systems of the day, later replaced with the now more recognizable "SOS" - https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/titanic-marconi-and-wireless-telegraph Login to Reply