This Isn't About Ships

   

Sea Princess

A friend and I are off to Singapore for 5 nights. Later, it's the Sea Princess for 14 days of cruising in SE Asia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Bali and Fremantle return. I hope to garner some great writing inspiration, but if not, what the heck, I'll just enjoy this lavish lifestyle. My good Sony Super Shot will be my travel journal.

Singapore

   This isn't about Ships

   This isn't really a poem about ships, about the Princess

   stateroom luxury, TV, WIFI, a queen-size bed.

   It's not about three meals, dining a la carte, room service 

   or first-class. Swimming pools on a lean in tropical seas,

   playing cards (casino style), nor is it about a morning's

   sauna before quoits, line-dancing, your feet treading a mill

   at the back of the gym. And it's certainly not about

   toasting champagne with eight others who have

   sailed a warm coastline to France or Rome.  

   It's not about lazying around on deck chairs, sun

   glowing in the hair, on a windless side. It should

   never be about theme or formal nights, deep voices

   embraced in karaoke song. It should never be about

   the nightly cabaret show,  "Knees up Mother Brown."      

  Can't imagine this poem ever stopping in old war zones.

  Vietnam, Cambodia should be - safe as temple gongs.

  Really this poem should be about the heart

  that exists, its disappointments, capriciousness,

  a rusting soul that looks for providence, one recent

  embrace that had no trust, all the players fudging

  their bets. And meanwhile you're ready to board ship

  with thoughts of stars, peachy moons, dockyards,

  ports, a static alphabet of names you can't forget,

  and finally all you crave are trusting souls with your

  hard-earned credit, slippage into promised wharves;

  Bali - please don't be closed! Perhaps, one thing more

  that you can't leave out - a safe harbour home!