A Ship to Remember

Hammers. Timbers. Iron. Steel.They're laying downmust not sink!But down below the decks,
a mighty keel.As ant-like workers scurry roundIunseen:In sneaks the ocean cold and keen.And as
hear a truly riveting sound.And as she rises midstup each steel wall it growsIt reaches top, and
the swarmI see the beauty of her form.(He hasoverflows.Boats are lowered. Ah! Sad
no soul who cannot seeHow I am forced to callfew."Women and babes first!", shout the crew.A
her "she".)And then, 'a sudden, she's a ship!Shepanicked man, in dressing-gown:"My God! My God!
waltzes down that mighty slip.Then, in the water,She's going down!""Nearer my God, to thee how
no splash, mind,This lady floats. Oh! Hownear".The band plays on, to calm the fear."You've
refined!Southampton docks: I want to feel,Anddone your duty, lads, now go."But does the music
touch, and taste the British steel!Palatial, andstop? Oh no.A fervent prayer to He who
stately too.(There was no like in Xanadu.)ThesavesAs down she slips beneath the waves.The
passengers, the crew, all weAre safe aboard, sosilence!Then those dreadful screams.(I sometimes
out to sea.The cheers, the midget well-wishhear them in my dreams.)Next morn, upon that
fleet,That siren deck beneath my feet!A jewelledsorrowed billowA wreath, a chair, a toy, a
city, in the night,From shame, the very stars tookpillow.No souls, the souls are all asleep.I stand in
flight.Her mighty speed seemed but a creep,Sosilent prayer, and weep.Patrick Lockerby - March
steady that she seemed asleep.Indeed the city2005Born 1946, London, England.
slept. A fewRemained awake, they mostlyGrammar-school educated.
crew,To feed the rav'nous boilers' maw,To bakeRetired engineer.Interests:
the bread, sort mail, and more.I almost dozed andAnything at all to do with language & linguistics,
wished my bed,But:"Iceberg!", "Iceberg! Deadesp. --
ahead!"With straining engines, spinning wheel,Shepoetry, prose;
strove to swerve her awesome keelAnd almost,natural language processing;
almost, but, not quite --A straining shrieking rentcontrol and communication in human systems;
the nightAnd rent her hull. (I took no fright.)'Twaslaw, lies, logic.
but a glancing blow", I think,She will not, cannot,