A TRIBUTE
A Prince of deep waters now is gone,
In the whirlpool of eternity;
No longer to linger this world upon,
On either land or sea.
Hand of providence o’er him,
In cauldrons of total war;
To sail across great waters grim,
To oceans near and far.
Both trials of grief and fate,
On his shoulders to abide;
No glory or vanity to relate,
Duty’s call his only pride.
Demand of tumult taken up,
Not to boast or preen;
Having drank from terror’s cup
And carnage he had seen.
Called away to muster again,
With comrades lost before;
Life’s duty no longer to detain,
Embarking that final door.
Defender to his resting place,
Befitting his own decree;
Rugged transport; not of grace;
Like warhorses of the sea.
Monty Alexander 19.4.21