Darkness wraps the laker on this cold November night
No ripples tell the tale of the power and the might
Cutting through the blackness shines the twinkling diamond light
Of a billion starry sentinels to guide a sailor's sight.
On the bridge, the seasoned captain guides his massive ship
And remembers all the starry nights and many a silent trip
In his hands he holds his tea and slowly takes a sip
And quietly says a mariners prayer against Novembers whip
Somehow this night's a fitting trip for this tired and worn old man
Whose face is lined with wrinkles and deeply chestnut tan
The time has come to keep his sealegs on the land
And watch the little children make castles in the sand
He's seen his share of silent nights and the cruel November witch
Remembering his heartbreak the night they lost the Fitz
How his old girl had struggled with the roll and pitch
He brought her into port that night and slipped her in her niche
Before the crew had settled down to take a needed rest
They fired her up and pulled her out to face their biggest test
She rumbled with power and swung around and headed to the west
To join the powerful ladies on their desperate quest
Although he's old and tired and his bones do deeply ache
He'll miss his walk around the deck and gazing at her wake
A fleeting mark that briefly cuts the silence of the Great lake
And he sheds a silent tear for the last trip he will take
c. 1999 Carolyn Duprey
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