Best Batten Down The Hatches Poems
The Captain bellowed out the order,
soon after the midnight bell;
He said, "batten down the hatches boys,
we're in for a night a hell.
Seems storm force winds were brewin,
a Nor-easter in all it's might;
Sweeping down hard from Labrador,
with no shelter in plain sight.
The Deckies scrambled with precision,
and gave each dog an extra heave;
And never waivered from their duties,
amidst the pounding seas.
The water seeped in where ere it could,
and the cookie stored the mess away;
We all silently knew one truth,
there be no last meal this day.
The skipper yelled, "Hard into er",
as the wheelsman yanked the helm around;
The Mate watched into the blackness,
so no rogue wave would bring us down.
She blew herself out by mornin,
and ragin seas became gentle rolls;
And we silently gave thanks at breakfast,
for we never lost one soul.
FLEEING IRMA
spotlight moon, full, like an Old Testament cloud, leading
Floridians forth, not into the desert, but away from the wrath
of Irma. bumper to bumper, neighbors from pilot to caboose,
illuminated in each other’s flood beams. testiness and pride
put aside, as fleeing cars, in camaraderie, brave the calm
before the storm. like the Israelites, they leave behind the
homes they know, put themselves in the hands of God. many
have family and friends north of their beloved peninsula,
an unintended visit, a warm haven, not a picnic nor a vacation,
but each pulls themselves up, for our Southern neighbors
are not of the craven sort. those who choose to live near the sea,
with its beauty and fortitude, know how to batten down the hatches.
hammocks left behind will tangle, and hug palm trees, suffering
the loss of their occupants. hotels, with never ending vacationers,
takes a much needed rest. God believes in rest, sometimes
a seven year sabbath, even when the soul forgets its place. we
pray, even north of the path, in stillness, we must, in gratitude,
never taking for granted, lest we too find ourselves seeking solace
elsewhere. godspeed our tanned Peninsula friends. godspeed
and bless, with safety, tenacity, and love as we reel you in.
9/8/2017
Stop present time now!
Let us go no further.
Let's enjoy the now, somehow.
Muses and we, sisters and brothers.
Batten down the hatches on reality.
Only stars dance, we staunchly state.
Reality has no maternity,
We slammed it dead at the front gate.
Of only insignificance, can we pen?
Strange murmurings of only moons
and stars.
Reality to die slowly in a dark house
of busy pens?
Of that, dare not your soul ever move
nor start.
This world of writing, utterly unreal.
Where imagery is some despotic
king?P
And long words you must look up
to somehow beauty reveal?
To then bow low and kiss a poet's
ring?
September 13, 2020
8:30 pm PST
Batten down the hatches –
A storm is on its way.
Don’t know when it’s comin’
Or how long it’s gonna stay.
Every market’s crowded –
People gathering supplies.
No one wants to be caught short
Or taken by surprise.
Plans are being canceled,
Dates all rearranged –
Phones and laptops busy as
New info is exchanged.
We’re ready for the tempest –
We’ve got flashlights, candles, matches.
I’m prepared to do some battening,
But what the hell are hatches?
Return to heavy, layered clothes
Purple lips and frozen toes
One last breath before it snows
Loathsome precipitation
The land now strewn with slippery patches
Bye the wood stove, extra matches
Time to batten down the hatches
Human hibernation
The months meander, oh so slow
The cold impedes the rivers flow
The flowers weep, and wait to grow
I should be on vacation
There is some good, I do suppose
Snow topped trees in splendid rows
And all mosquitoes surely froze
Yet I'm filled with anticipation
For summer reveals my sunny side
I rub my eyes and step outside
To walk bare foot through turning tide
Still six more months of frustration
Are we ready for what’s to come?
Will we know how to behave?
Never before in human history has there been such disruption. It was once a much simpler place. No more. The future is arriving faster than ever before.
Gia now has a neural net the brain is coming alive.
Things are changing at such a clip not like anything seen before. Things will never be the same.
Computers that once filled rooms are now held in the palm of our hands. Not too many years from now they’ll be cursing through our veins.
Nanotechnology, biotechnology, computer technology exploding at such a pace, soon enough, the internet will be connected to our face.
We’ll all be part of the global brain, have instant access to all the knowledge mankind has thus far obtained. Soon, artificial intelligence will join us where we live, things will never be the same. Machines will build machines smarter all the time. Where we go after all this may drive us insane.
Some say we’ll build virtual worlds every bit as real, and designed them to meet our every need, absolutely ideal. No one knows for sure which way all this will go.
I suggest you batten down the hatches though, it’s going to be quite the show.
Hurricane Matthew is lurking like a message from the Devil.
It is sinister and daunting, putting millions in peril.
The forces of nature are giving us an ominous hello,
Putting on an enormous and frightening show.
This is a sobering reminder of our fragile mortality.
We pray that disaster won’t be a sad reality.
You have to respect the size of this monster storm.
Batten down the hatches, and watch it perform!
( BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES )
Battin down the hatches, the clouds are moving in in patches.
The sky is darkening up, and the wind is moving trees in batches.
The animals are looking up, they dont like what they see.
The hair on their bodies are standing up, on a different degree.
The lightning is very bright, and the thunder makes you jump.
The rain it pours on the road, and the hail gathers in a clump.
People they run to take cover, as the hail hits their head.
The weatherman called for sunny skies, is simply what they said.
The tempatures cools and goosebumps they appear.
Hoping that there are no tornadoes, is what everyone will fear.
Grab the raincoat and slosh through the puddles.
Grab your friend and hold them close, as both of you must huddle.
Its that season for the storms, and looking up at the sky.
Its always quite normal, as eating apple pie.
Have candles ready, and a box of tempernate matches.
Get ready for the storm right now, and battin down the hatches.
Don't stop the CHOP
dash the glorious bits of foam and froth
let the leeward side fill
let the fertile delta pray
for mercy from Poseidon
All hail the storm God...
Angry, black-and-blue, bruise
the coast, claim the futile calm...
meditate on the black hole of the abyss
Can’t STOP the chop…
Brash and brazen tentacle of DOOM
destruction stirs the devil’s cauldron
Watch the witches brew boil over the
capes of man
removing the zen garden
prissiness of the pandering fools
Batten DOWN the hatches boys
There BE a BLOW on ‘er…
ships flail like paper boats
RALE against the dieing, FIGHT
Ride the crest on boards LIVE the fright!
There’s a storm on the way, that will deliver a blow
No travel is advised, and it’s not because of snow
Visibility will be impacted so you better hunker down
It’s going to bring a flood, please try not to drown
You need to be prepared, so check your emergency kits
Replenish your batteries and make sure your life vest still fits
Batten down the hatches and furl your sail
Hold on tight, it’s going to be a fierce gale
You can weather this storm if you know what to do
Listen for the message that will help get you through
It’s going to hit really hard and it will hit very fast
This will not be the first and it won’t be the last
There are many storms of life that will cause a fuss
Pay attention to the exits and where you sit on the bus
If you choose the right captain, then you’ll make out alright
He will protect you from the storm and guide you through the night
The world would like us to call it normal everyday chaos
But the Lord our God says its evil gathering souls of the lost
Death upon the innocent and violence against whoever claims Christ
The only thing I can hold onto is they died believing he paid the price
The images are shown to shock you and give you the sense hope is all lost
Becoming dooms day prepper’s for the inevitable coming of the holocaust
So you collect your canned goods, guns and ammo for your family’s protection
Protecting what is temporary and forgetting about God’s promised salvation
So before you batten down the hatches and load your array of guns
Ask God to save you not from this world but from sin through the blood of his son
It fills me with trepidation
To sail upon the sea,
A heaving green colossus
Of such immensity.
No fetters can restrain you,
Borders you have none,
There are cold dark depths within you
Where many ships have gone.
Your beguiling siren song,
Sighs softly on the waves,
Luring unsuspecting mariners,
Where many find their graves.
A halcyon day upon you,
The sea like polished glass,
But a brooding sky forewarning
This peace will surely pass.
From calm seas, to raging fury
In the blinking of an eye.
Like some dark avenging demon,
Wreaking havoc from the sky.
So when sailing it is tranquil,
And the current it runs slow,
The monster's only sleeping,
As any seadog knows.
So batten down the hatches.
And stow away the gear.
Don't take calm seas for granted,
For oblivion is near.
I love the way the sky defends the sea;
The way the waves do break upon the shore.
But when the clouds seep in to disagree—
My eyes begin to guide the tides of war.
My fingers twitch; I smell the herald’s fear,
I must prepare my love to play the part,
To save our sacred crux from the unclear—
And batten down the hatches of my heart.
For every storm is drafted by the lords;
I know this hurricane will surely pass,
However long it takes to wreck the boards—
I’ll stake our claims with ruins from the mass.
So when the deep begins to lift its head,
Lest we forget the beaches we have wed.
I race toward my workspace, now battle station
Code Zebra, ASAP, batten down the hatches!
Ka-boom! Boom! Boom! A trance-like sensation
Shipmates scramble for smokes and matches
Ray, Dale, and Russ don’t show
I think: run, jump; if you die, die free
Not trapped and sealed in steel below
Not buried alive like me!
Kaboom! Overhead bolts shoot from the seams
Above is a warm Hawaiian autumn
I’m weak as blood from my neck streams
Where am I now? Of course, I remember
It’s noon, I have a date with a girl on the beach
She’s eighteen and a bit silly, like me
What a gorgeous sight, she’s now within reach
I’m so happy and complete, so free
7/12/22
Tears Of A Valiant Soldier Poetry Contest
Sponsor: Faraz Ajmal
Ready or not here he comes
Best you batten down the hatches
Unless you were one of the smart ones to run
Like a Coon Hound in July chasing rabbits
Alright, alright, alright
As you turn and face the wind
Open the door to a Category 4
And let Matthew come screaming in
Oh me, oh my, oh my, oh me
Is that Grandma in the yard below
Hanging tight with all her might to the clothes line
With her cat Skeeters in tow
This is getting rather exciting
As I see trees by the dozen crack in half
With my Boy scout skills I might need to later build
A sturdy family size raft
But for now we'll all hunker down
Try and stay away from the windows
And all the flying debris that I decided to leave
In the yard scattered between plastic Flamingos
I'm here wondering at this moment
Which of the two could be worse
Being blown away by a hurricane
Or eaten by a gator face first
Still you've got to love Florida
With 20 foot waves crashing to shore
As I step outside to grab that branch floating by
I think I need to start whittling some oars
I live in Jacksonville Florida and thought some humor would be nice before my power goes out and I crawl off into a corner to whimper...