The Old Captain

The waves went to and fro,
The old captain stood astern.
Lightning darted around the scene,
And thunder followed after.

Yet our captain drove on,
His goal to get to port.
To save the lives of fellow men,
And cargo from the storm.

Yonder docks he knows are far,
But on and on he goes.
The rain pours down,
Relentlessly and strong.

The town is up ahead,
“Man the lifeboats!” the old man calls.
Through tumult the sailors obey,
Their minds filled with dread.

The lifeboats are off,
The men get to dock.
Yet the Captain drives on,
For the cargo is still at risk.

A few hundred paces remain,
But the storm was too thick.
The ship crashed a thunder,
On a rock jutting out from the sea.

Down goes our Captain,
With cargo and all.
Books full of knowledge,
Were kept in his mind.

The men all remembered,
That fateful day.
When down went the Captain,
Cargo and all.

He saved the lives of his fellow men,
But perished none the same.
Upon the seabed he now lies,
Remembered by all he knew.