We ferried down the Clyde
Past Ailsa Craig
Our trip to Ireland
Sailing very calm
Then we hit the weather
Or the weather then hit us
North Channel wind and wet
We felt alarm
Everyone sat
Bartender tended glasses
Glasses sliding up and down the tray
Shuddering sounds
As ship contends with ocean
Progress slow
There is no other way
We headed south
Then turned into the wind
Faced into the weather best to do
Steadied ship
I began to feel much better
Landed late at Larne
And glad to view
Had we known
We never would have sailed
So we were told when safely in the bay
That sudden squall
Took everyone by surprise
Now we smile and now
We’re on our way
That was our last trip
Across to Ireland
Two months down the road
And Maggie died
Now that’s a storm
I never had expected
And for a time
Thought I never would outride
The storms of life are fierce
They can frighten
We feel so helpless
Sense our own demise
But banking south
We turn into the headwind
And brave the force
Until it sinks and dies
We are headed for a harbour
And shall get there
We lost an hour
Because of wind and rain
But our ship is steady
It finds out calmer water
And life goes on
We are landing safe again
Brian Fahy
19 July 2021
Erris Poetry 