Best Sailors Poems
Those stars that sailors follow
Guiding less the sea to swallow
And the night seas black as tar
Beyond the wave a land afar
Halyards taught, blocks in tallow
Breezes fresh and salt swallow
Timbers creak, white horses foam
Callused hands and oceans comb
And the stars pull them forth
South, east, west and north
Cabin boy or salty jack
Afore the mast, bare their back
Seas of glass or howling gales
Stands his watch what ever ails
For them the ocean a magic place
For every dawn a changing face
The face of his one true love
The wind, stars, skies above
Surrounded by angry,raging seas Under a shrouded midnight moon
I think about loved ones dearly missed
I won't be seeing anytime soon.
Future plans come crashing down
Under the heavy pounding waves
I've traded my warm bed and loving arms
In exchange for an early watery grave.
Weep not for me my cherished children
For I could have been a better man
I just hope I will be remembered
For providing as best for you I can.
Eternity now pulls and beckons me
I must say my last goodbye with tears
To you my love, please forgive me,
For not providing you more years.
old sailors still dream
mermaid beauty unseen
seashell lays on shore
©Donna Jones
The mighty 3rd to the north did steam,
Chasing a ghost not to be seen
Guard the landing your task assigned,
Quiet the day is to be benign
At dawn the Imperial fleet does appear,
Surprise complete, ranging fire splashes near
Outnumbered and out gunned, duty is clear,
Close the range you must in spite of your fear
Laying smoke, a jagged course you take,
An account of yourselves you will make
Steel your heart and make sure your eye,
For each salvo keeps you alive
Toe-to-toe the battle, you exchange mighty blows,
Triumph impossible, yet into the fray you all go
In perfect rhythm, the mad dance goes on,
As smoke filled gunhouse loads powder and shot
Decks strewn with the dead and dying,
Teams repair to keep the ensign flying
Struck and struck again, yet to point blank you steam,
Hard to port, you cross the “T”
“All guns to fire at the turn, torpedoes away!”
The enemy scatters in disarray
Too late, mortal blows you take
To the deep, no more your enemy to rake
One final salute their captain does render,
For you fought to the death and did not surrender
On this all men do still agree,
These were the finest two hours of Taffy 3
*****************************************
On October 25th, 1944, 3 destroyers and 4 destroyer escorts of Task Force
Taffy 3 engaged a combined force of Imperial Japanese Navy battleships and
cruisers in a 2 hour running gun battle to protect the escort carriers and troop
transports taking part in the Leyte Gulf landings in the Philippines. Two of the
three destroyers and one of the escorts were sunk while sinking three
Japanese heavy cruisers and damaged three more. Due to the fierceness of
the attack, the Japanese fleet retired from the area thinking they had been
attacked by a much larger force. At the outset of the battle, the commanding
officers of these 7 ships, without orders, individually decided to attack and
headed at flank speed to the fight all knowing they would most likely not
survive the day. Almost 1600 did not. In a final act of respect, the commander
of one Japanese cruiser saluted the crew of an American ship that had just
sunk as his ship passed them floating in the water.
waiting for sailors
who battle King Neptune's wrath. . .
their watery graves
For the Haiku 102 Poetry Contest of Nathan D
I always thought that I was like my dad.
People tell me that I look like him
So, I just suspected that we were similar.
He doesn’t show much emotion
I don’t show much emotion.
He’s got blue eyes,
I’ve got blue eyes
He only has a select few friends,
I’m picky with my friends.
He’s funny,
I hope I’m funny.
I’m quiet and reserved,
He’s extroverted and sociable
But I’m at my best when I’m with people.
I’m open to people,
He’s super skeptical of people
I give a lot to people,
He gives a lot to those he loves but not really to those he doesn’t know.
I’m afraid to be alone,
He’s pretty much always been on his own.
Maybe we aren’t that much alike after all.
The saying opposites attract is true for him and I
But perhaps it’s the opposite for my mom and I
We don’t really look alike,
But we do the same things,
feel the same emotions,
still mine are on a much deeper level
For example, I could’ve only known a girl for a month
things end and I’m heartbroken.
It doesn’t happen all the time, it’s legit only when I put a lot of time into it.
The same goes for my mom
she gets over things she didn’t put a lot of time and effort into easily
but when something does
and it doesn’t work out
she takes it hard
we might not show on the outside
but on the inside
it’s like we are lone sailors in the middle of hurricane
trying to lock down the hatches
calling for help,
but just wanting to someone to understand us.
Which is funny,
because I’m 5 shoe sizes bigger than her
yet her shoes don’t seem to hurt my toes.
She always wanted a relationship with her older sister,
I’ve always wanted a relationship with a stranger.
We are so much alike that I tend to get annoyed with her
because it’s like talking to a different version of me.
I’m sorry for not recognizing this earlier mom
It turns out I’m just like you,
And I love it.
Solitary seafarer sings sea chanties,
salty sea breeze serenity,
sea birds skim waves,
suddenly, so many sailors' souls
of the sunken WW II ship USS Indianapolis
started singing sonorous,
soaring from sea sepulcher,
stirring sacrifice so sacred,
such sorrow,
souls still scintillating, still seaward,
servicemen shipmates solemnized,
seared, sealed in spiritual solidarity,
salute. ~
Not nearly long enough, a king’s words
what to expect from a tyrant's paradox absurd
making sure not a drop is lost as consumed
she holds the cobalt blue bowl to her lips
a grape tint gauze tied gently around her hips
it tells of an impregnated womb
a farewell toast to the warriors aboard ships
or a drink of what they’ll lack, that and more
of the destiny a young husband has in store
departing are ships, she ponders them upon the sea
the open book in front of her kept unread
behind her, replacement ships underway, as relief
what has been too long, for any sailor this dread
out at sea in despair of the unknowing, the grief
Of sailors jumping overboard, an S O S ignored
what any wife can’t bear, their king has no empathy
furious are the wives of the lies told
a sword has stricken through the hearts of gold
replacement ships finally, underway to relieve
what has been too long for any sailor out at sea
A sailor's soul has an
epic thirst
Only nourished by the sea
For only upon it's waves and
swells
Is a sailor's soul set free
He prays for winds to fill his
sails
And clear skies to chart his way
A pull of rum and cheap cigar
To finish out his day
The stories spewed, both lies
and truths
Will fade upon the seas
For until his ship, next leaves
it's slip
Will his soul again be
freed
How does 1 cut the hair on a head that's no longer here,
prolonged was the shadow with holding tender mercy.
With I left needy, no 1 to toast our final beer.
Since have I found no inner peace,
instead I poured your love into 3 neice.
Believing you flew free upon release,
back to the deck of the Cavalier,
moored off the Cape of Good Hope
where you finally found that you belonged there
Sat on the pier, red sky at night,
Gerard's delight...
Haze gray underway
to all the sailors at sea
may the seas sail well
How I long to see the sun and its morning light,
to warm my face from these long cold nights.
And hold you close and near,
to chase away all my fears.
But this my love I cannot do,
for my spirit walks along with you.
My ship hit the reef and sunk in the night,
my last thoughts were of holding you tight.
Until that day when we are united as one,
I will wait my love by the setting sun.
JSergi
Anchor down, wind at ease all the sailors out to please, one by one they step off deck and into the arms of who knows heck.
For a night of drinking, a fist full of titty, and a bottle of good ole smitty, to drowned out their long and grueling lives and sink in pity by those beer goggled cuties who in the end get their share of good ole boys that breathe the sea as if it where air, waiting for someone who's never there, just to care.
By Leah Munoz
Pen name (Leloo Pair)
The Sailors' Mermaid
There once was a manatee named Mary.
She, a mammal was not very hairy.
One day while at sea.
She said this shouldn't be!
So, she bought a blond wig from Sea-Fairy.
© Dane Ann Smith-Johnsen
Poetic Form Limerick
Vultures on the wing high up in the sky
Careen in flight as they go sailing by
Tracing out patterns of vanishing lines
As they create most exquisite designs
Other birds like eagles, gulls and falcons
Also engage in such exhibitions
Viewing them gives a feeling of freedom
That transcends daily life's din and humdrum
With wings outstretched they effortlessly ride
Rising air currents that support their glide
With angled wings they dip down and then rise
Navigating their way up in the skies
In total mastery of flight they appear
Cavorting and floating up in the air
With the gracefulness of their flight on high
They are true avian sailors in the sky
Since I was a child, I have always admired the effortless gliding of vultures up in the sky.
Among other gliding birds listed are albatross, eagle, condor, stork, frigatebird and seagull.
It is a truly delightful to watch the marvellous gliding action of these birds way up in the sky as they ride the air currents.
This poem is dedicated to them: the genuine avian sailors in the sky.
(I have made some adjustments to the original to include some other gliding birds in the body of the piece).