�A Small Dutch Vessel Close-Hauled in a Stormy Breeze�

From the painting by Willem van de Valde the Younger

A small Dutch vessel close-hauled in a stormy breeze
Struggles to stay afloat on the harsh, stormy seas.
A speck of blue sky still remains,
The rest: gray clouds signaling rain.

The black and white flag affixed on the masthead
Signals their location: off Texel Island.
She is on her way to assist a larger ship,
When the storm prevents her from finishing her trip.

The ship tilts side to side with each incoming wave,
And the men onboard fear a watery grave.
A giant white wave crashes on the ship, leeward,
Throwing men from their feet, tossing some overboard.

The ship’s white sail is useless, just hanging on the mast,
Guaranteeing that any rescue better happen fast.
The storm closes in on the small Dutch boat,
Disregarding the other vessels that are also afloat.

As the storm rages, the vessel’s fate is sealed,
When a wave splinters the hull, and the ship begins to keel.
The Captain yells the two words that all mariners fear to say,
“Abandon ship!  Abandon ship!  And hope that you’ll be saved!”

Obeying the captain’s orders, the men jump off the sides,
Landing in the ocean among those who lived and those who died.
Men scattered in the water, their heads bobbing up and down,
Shouts of those who can’t swim pierce the air before they drown.

The captain secures himself to the helm, so he won’t escape,
For he knows that as a captain, he must accept his fate.
The bow sticks straight up in the air, the boat at the end of its trip,
The faithful captain takes his final breath as he goes down with his ship.
 

Reviews

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Very nicely written. Best wishes, Pammy