After a long period of illness and near-incapacitation, David astounded me with one of his best poems, written only last night. He gave me permission to share it here. I am so hoping this will ignite more poems, as he has a unique voice, and is my closest friend.
I AM A MIGHTY BATTLE SHIP
YES. A mighty battle ship
Grey
Taken a lot of hits and near misses
Done some damage in return
My rudder cable is jammed
I travel by digression
Bunker oil marks my path
We are working to seal the leaks
It is a race against time
And tide
Two forward compartments
Are sealed by my order
Were filling with flood and screams of those left behind
I have counter-flooded to keep
The decks even at a level
No dramatic going down here
Yet there is no homecoming for us
No homeport to take refuge
and refit
Sooner or later we go under the cold dark waves
I’ll stand my watch,
I’ll not fear
For many before us have gone down
to meet the Old Grey Widow Maker
Constant as ocean, wind,
and tide
—David West
