Ernestine Northover - Fully Rigged

Tall Ships that sail the ocean blue,
And ride the waves through calm and storm,
Are fully rigged, with a gallant crew,
Who have their duties to perform.

For starting on the upper decks,
They scrub the planks and coil the ropes,
And do a hundred vital checks,
With sextant, compass, and some telescopes.

With careful ease, they travel on,
And when they turn, veer to the west,
The Captain steers through every swell,
Though pitched and tossed o'er every crest.

So fine and gracious are these crafts,
Built with such care and made to last,
They're caressed by a gentle wind that wafts,
And their grace is something unsurpassed.

What a wondrous sight, these ships so tall,
With all their sails shown in full array,
And watching them all, they so enthral,
That their beauty takes my breath away.

© Ernestine Northover

Ernestine Northover

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/fully-rigged/