'Steel sinks, ' is what the captain said
a truth all sailors knew
yet till the sea has dried to dust
men yearn to sail anew
they full well knew a nasty storm
was headed straight on course
but they were braced and weathered souls
their ship an iron horse
they didn't blink or hesitate
when plowing past the Hole
the final outpost on the trip
last chance for safety's fold
the captain felt it in his gut
this craft would stay the course
had it not lumbered thirty years
tight schedules to enforce?
the men aboard a close knit team
El Faro would be proud
when through the challenge of the storm
they'd port to cheering crowds
of course a lot of things could fail
malfunctions, glitches, ropes
but all were trained to fix things up
with swift and mastered strokes
had not El Faro found a name
with ships that would not fail
delivering their heavy loads
when others would not sail?
none was prepared for that small knell
none ever lived to tell
why at that moment of that hour
the engine went to hell
the sea released a jealous rage
and spun the wheel of luck
to call proud sailors on their plan
Joaquin's path to buck
a wave that tipped this mass of steel
tossed tons of metal pounds
containers filled and vehicles
no time for Mayday sounds
the morning light that rainy dawn
found no ship pull to port
no warning and no news was heard
no sounds and no reports
the destination of the load
of cargo and its men
now rests where many journeys end
the sea floor's darkened den
gray seagull squawks above the waves
join songs of those who deal
to live or die by placing bets
on Neptune's storm drenched wheel
'Steel sinks, ' is what the captain said
a truth all sailors knew
yet till the sea has dried to dust
men yearn to sail anew.
Verily, knowingly or unknowingly man takes risk in life and that is what life is.....10
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
'Their ship an iron horse', 'tight schedules to enforce', 'Neptune's storm drenched wheel', powerful poem!