I know the Clyde in its summer pride
And eke in its winter gloom;
I know what it is to carry good biz
And nothing but plenty of room ;
I know the thousands who sail for fun,
The hundreds depending on me—
And in black o’ the night or in blaze o’ the sun
I’m as handsome a craft as you’ll see!
Travellers watching my engines go,
Folk in my fine saloon,
Passengers pale in a Januar’ gale
Or under an August moon,
Ladies sunning themselves on deck,
Gents with their choice cigars—
They all can feel they are quite genteel
Aboard the magnificent ” Mars”!
In summer’s tide, as you watch me glide
So prettily through the Kyles,
You never would guess that I’ve felt the stress
Of weather in various styles,
But, bless your soul! you should see me roll
And heave in a sou’-west sea,
With squalls a-crying and spindrift flying
All over magnificent Me !
Watch me trying the pier at Strone,
All for a lady’s sake—
Risking a smash for threepence in cash
And looks that would give you an ache.
Hear the creak of my ropes pulled taut—
Wrung and tuned with the strain !
‘.ear them snap with a horrible slap ! —
And . . . watch me trying again!
But now are the days when the Firth displays
Its peace and its happiest hues;
And now are the nights for the mixed delights
Of the popular evening cruise.
My skipper and crew are often in blue,
And seldom in glistening black—
And you needn’t grow pale at the thought of a sail
To Kames in the Kyles and back !
Capable stewards attend below,
A band performs above—
The former’s food is uncommonly good,
The latter’s may do for love.
But whether you sail with pleasure or woe,
Under the sun or the stars,
You always feel you are quite genteel
Aboard the magnificent ” Mars.”
(John Joy Bell)
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Based on Topics: Love Poems, Night Poems, Mind Poems, Sadness Poems, Soul Poems, Thought & Thinking Poems, Summer Poems, Fame Poems, Food Poems, Weather Poems, Stress PoemsBased on Keywords: biz, uncommonly, prettily, squalls, gents, a-crying, black-, threepence, sake-, kyles, kames