A Lifetime In Verse

This free verse poem in sonnet form describes the events of one calm night in the Coral Sea aboard ‘Chengtu’. Listen to:  The Distress Flare I'd never seen a brighter, more flawless sky, until that cloudless night at sea revealed its host of glimmering, embroidered stars above a moonlit sea of sapphires. When a fiery red and silver flare flew skyward, and like poor Pheidippides arrived from ancient Athens’ Marathon, fulfilled its purpose, and exhausted died. Roused into action by the soaring flare, I altered course, and in our searchlight’s probing beam, I saw a fishing boat adrift, her crew near death from days without water. They had but one such flare to send aloft, and wept to know that one had saved their lives.

This poem is dedicated to unwilling butterflies everywhere. Listen to: Chrysanthemum's Song The season's first typhoon brought violent winds, And drenching torrents of storm-driven rain. Most people had gone home and left the streets, The shops and traders’ stalls, the bars and clubs Deserted, save for butterflies like me. While Mama-san cursed at the angry storm, I sang romantic ballads to my friends, And brushed aside their gentle-hearted teasing. The saddest songs soothed our wasted lives, And tightly bound our bonds of friendship. I sang a sad and bitter song of grief, Of a girl in bondage craving freedom, Denied her life, the chattel chooses death, And from her owner steals a vicious knife, And awaits her time to die—that girl was me. A young man appeared alone at our door As Mama-san worried at her profit. She'd gladly see the honest seaman skinned, She fussed and grumbled at the pouring rain, And led him childlike, by the hand to me. Before I left the stage to please