Half her crew are fallen,
Now forever below, asleep,
A once great warship lies;
In waters dark and deep.

Badly burned and broken,
No more to see the sun,
No more port-calls, no more honors,
Her days of glory done.

No more shall she strike awe,
No more will she terrify some foe,
Now she’s subject to the hardest law,
The crabs will feast, the kelp will grow.

Did a better weapon really sink her?
Or was it her sailors who failed?
Did her Captain dishonor Neptune,
In whose black waters they sailed?

Might a better captain and crew have saved her?
Might they have stopped the holes in her side?
Or was it hubris that offended the sea god,
Did the mighty warship die from pride?

The sea is unforgiving, even at the best of times,
But some things are always true,
War at sea is hard and difficult indeed,
Train as hard as you can, and give Neptune his due.

Copyright 2022 Arrias
www.vicsocotra.com