This poem should really be Poem Number One because it was written on 14 May 1962 – 60 years ago today! I was at primary school and we had to write a contribution for the class’s Literary Journal. There are two things I marvel at! One is that I wrote “Grand-pi-pa” and not simply “Grandpa” in order to get it to scan properly. (Incidentally my grandparents were long dead). The second thing I marvel at is the daringness of having three of the eight lines end with the word “sea”! It’s like it was difficult to find many things to rhyme with “sea”!
The ship was heaved and tossed like a cork
For there was a storm at sea.
And oh what a terrible storm it was
For my grand-pi-pa and me.
The lightning flashed, the thunder roared,
And the ship on the pitilous sea
Seemed so small to the two of us aboard
Against the enormous sea.
To hear the poem read aloud click HERE.
Weave a Web 
Hey… using the sea three times…worked! That is all that matters. It painted the picture well.
Again…I picture you with a smoking jacket and pipe reading to us all…in front of a fireplace needless to say.
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I’ve never quite known what a smoking jacket was even though I’ve known the term all my life. I would do a search for it online but I don’t want to be banned for using the word “smoking”. The fire was going but I was in another room and eating an oatmeal cookie with a cup of tea! Absolutely splendid!
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https://www.snakkle.com/galleries/before-they-were-famous-stars-the-celebrity-cast-tv-show-series-silver-spoons-photos-where-are-they-now/john-houseman-in-scrooged-gc/
See if that works…it was hard to find the picture! That is John Houseman…
Tea and an Oatmeal cookie sounds good!
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Clearly the difference between a dressing gown and a smoking jacket is that with a smoking jacket you have to wear pants.
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Yea…that probably helps!
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I can almost see the turbulent sea intent on seeing the two sailors off its seams.
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I seem to have had a propensity for clichés from an early age.
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Clichés are the hallmark of lesser known poets. Savour this by somebody called Ricardo Eliécer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto (No wonder no one knows him):
“When I see the sea again
has the sea seen me or hasn’t it seen me?
Why the waves ask me
The same that I ask them?
And why do they hit the rock
With such a futile enthusiasm?
Don’t they get tired of repeating
their declaration to the sand?”
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I blame Ricardo Eliécer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto’s parents.
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This is better than very old, serious poets. Who says you can’t use ‘sea’ more than once?
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Thank you! Back in those days there would be only the one copy of the class’s book – no photocopier etc,
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Your writing talents are apparent even at that early age!
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LOL thanks! From memory we had to write a poem for homework!
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Love it Bruce, it has atmosphere and the jauntiness of a sea shanty.
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Thank you!
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Well done. I would have given you a gold star.
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