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Giocante 1788-1798
The boy stood on the burning deck
arms akimbo legs a'brace
while cannon balls rolled above and beyond
'twas the greatest challenge he had yet to face
as pouring oil on troubled waters
they who only stand and wait also serve
to post o’er ocean without rest
don't receive all they deserve
and crying, “O Captain, my Captain,
an order's sorely needed,
should I stay or should I go?”
but remaining at his position
alas little did he know
Luc-Julien-Joseph Casabianca (1762 – 1798)
his distinguished father lay fallen
extinguished cold and dead a deck or so below
Orient the gallant Gallic flagship of the line
had weather'd every rack and tack
meanwhile the port of Alexandria was near
during the Battle of the Nile
(August 1798)
in the Bay of Aboukir
when Alexander and Swiftsure
the victor ships came in with object won
and the gunpowder magazine exploded
blowing crew and child to kingdom come
tho' Rear-Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson
did all but four of the French fleet destroy
the noblest thing which perished there
was the heart and soul of that young faithful boy
With apologies to; Felicia Dorothea Hemans (1793 – 1835)
John Milton (1608 – 1674)
Michael Geoffrey Jones (born 1955)
Walter Whitman Jr. (1819 – 1892)
Copyright ©
Martin Howard Samuel
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