Neville

When Last Seen She Was Holding on Tightly

When Last Seen She Was Holding on Tightly

When last seen, she was clutching

a long thin

strip of navy blue velvet and near

bent double,

somewhere near to the grasp of

her middle ..

And in so doing she thus, allowed

the hem

of her slip, to go on public display ..

Oh’ come

and sail with us, the sailors did sing ..

Yes come, see how

she swings like a brassed pendulum

sways ..

When last she was seen, she was seen

holding a

bottle green velvet, measure of satin ..

Fit for a lady,

or queen even, so fine a piece of cloth

it then was ..

Yet still, she was creased close to the

weave of her middle ..

And in so being, allowed the hem

of her fine

cotton camisole to splay far too near

a torn seam,

somewhere down near the midline ..

And all of them

sailors did roar, come and play with us ..

This gall

she can pitch, like a galleon might pitch

in a raging

south westerly squall and when last she

was seen,

she was holding a new babe in both arms

all wrapped in a

dirty, cream coloured, silk shawl and both

appeared to be starving ..

And still the sailors did sing, come and play

with us lass,

we shall make it alright, come the morning ..