El Faro Poem by Liilia Talts Morrison

'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.