A Nautical Tale Poem by Neil McGreevy

We were drifting at sea, just the dinghy and me
and the weather had so far been grand
when out of the clouds came a rumble so loud
that I buried my face in my hands

The dinghy spun round as the thunderous sound
made the two of us shudder with fear
so I hauled in the sail to prepare for the gale
that was billowing in from the rear

The storm gathered pace and the sea joined the race
to see who could dispose of us first
with the surge closing fast I clung on to the mast
as the rain clouds decided to burst

I was sure we would drown as the torrent poured down
and the waves came alarmingly high
our future looked grim as the water gushed in
and the lightning flashed over the sky

The dinghy took fright and leapt up in the night
to be dashed down again by the waves
and all I could see for the dinghy and me
was the writing on both of our graves

I tightened my grip as we both took a dip
in a trough that was deep as a well
but the dinghy held fast and we surfaced at last
though the pressure was starting to tell

Then just when it looked like our goose had been cooked
it was suddenly tranquil and clear
no sign of the rain or the stormy campaign
that had almost destroyed our careers

As I rose to my knees there was barely a breeze
and the clouds were as dry as a bone
no thunderous vaults and no lightning bolts
just the dinghy and me on our own

Beneath the blue sky sat the dinghy and I
on a sea that was smoother than cream
then I opened my eyes and to both our surprise
we discovered it was only a dream