With a few hundred men he takes on the deep, As their kith and kin ashore they sleep; His castle of steel ploughs a new way, As winds howl and the bridge takes the spray
His are the shoulders the burden that bear, The might of the weapon or the red flare; You know not what goes on inside of his ‘ead, As the ship leaves the haven of the roadstead
The engines whine and sizzle and bang, Eight bells and all’s well the Quartermaster rang; He sits on his chair with eyes fixed afar, Lest something escapes the sweep of the radar
You cannot fathom the deep of his mind, Nor the talent the prowess and courage of his kind; With him at the helm, crew knows nothin’ll happn, But it’s lonely at the top, cos he is the Cap’n.
© Rahul Sitaraman, 2020. All rights reserved. Views expressed are personal except where cited, and written without any malice or ill-intention. i can be reached at me@rahulsitaraman.info and rahulsitaraman@hotmail.com
Cover photo courtesy Indian Navy Quarterdeck 2019