Monday, 29 March 2021

Hold-Up on the Suez Canal!

In turgid waters, the ship lies

Beleaguered, focus of all eyes

Vast enterprise: tugs do their best

To dislodge this manifest.

 

A week goes by, rumours abound

Since this titan ran aground

The “Evergreen’s” expansive girth

Halts shipping transport round the Earth!

 

400 blocked ships hesitating

Forced delays, costs escalating;

Angry owners will not wait

Some take the long route round the Cape...

 

Suez - the Wunderkind - lies still

No Canal let-up until

This monster cargo ship’s afloat

Oh, for the time of the small boat!

 

Once thought the marvel of the age

Since 1869 the page

Of lengthy sea lanes seemed long past

With non-stop travel slick and fast.

 

Alas, container transports grow

Their extra weight means ships sink low

Hence this week’s disaster scene;

Pity they weren’t lean and mean!

                      ***

Eureka moment, one week later*

The ship is freed! It’s pure the-a-ter …

The poet’s task, I think you know,

Is to keep up with the flow!


*23rd-29th March, 2021


(c) Poet in the woods 2021




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