The Tribute

The Navy is a proud mistress, many the hearts of men she holds,
She demands attention, and convincingly captures our souls.
She’s taken us to distant lands and tropical ports of call,
And sadly traced her fingertips across our names on marbled walls.
She’s spit and shined and polished us ‘til we stood tall and creased,
And honored and saluted us with “fair winds and following seas.”
As regally upon the waves as a warship rises,
She commands a courageous crew under stern compromises.
With rivets buttoning up the hull along her steel-plated seams,
She’s guided us toward friendly shores, and buoyed up our dreams.
She’s held us close and given us boundless wings to fly,
And hasn’t hesitated to clip those wings when we soared a bit too high.
With the stalwart grace and pride of a ship’s boiler tender,
She’s taught us when to take a stand and when to humbly surrender.
She’s swabbed our youthful waywardness to be swallowed in her wake,
And cast an artful lifeline despite our foolish mistakes.
Thru it all she’s sailed us thru some rough and stormy waters,
And everlastingly shaped our lives…kind of like a father does his sons’ and daughter’s.

* de - july 2001