Evening Light

Samantha sat at the headland, and

She gazed on out at the sea,

Down where the wake of the submarine

Had all but disappeared,

She thought of her Able Seaman as

The breeze blew through her hair,

And picked a clutch of forget-me-nots

As the seagulls wheeled out there.

 

He’d said he wouldn’t be gone for long

It was just a practice dive,

Testing all of the systems that

Would keep the men alive,

He looked so young in his Navy Blues

That her heart had skipped a beat,

His eyes as pale as the open sea,

His hair like golden wheat.

 

She was still a big-eyed, stricken teen

And he was twenty-one,

She’d been brought up on a Dairy Farm,

And he, a Commander’s son,

They planned to marry, but not just now

They would need to wait a bit,

Once, he promised, he’d won his stripes

And served on a surface ship.

 

She waited up on the headland for

The sub to reappear,

While clouds had billowed over the bluff

To reflect the time of year,

The sun sat on the horizon, and

The breeze blew in with a squall,

She sat and shivered despite herself

And wrapped herself in a shawl.

 

‘Now don’t you play with the mermaids,’

She had laughed before he fled

Down the hill, he was running late

To get to the docking shed,

He turned back once and he waved to her

And she thought she saw him smile,

Then lost herself in a dream of lace

As she walked on down the aisle.

 

The rain came down in a drizzle as

She lost the evening light,

She rose and wandered on homeward

In the bleak, unseeing night,

She didn’t see as the rescue ship

Sailed out into the bay,

But slept as the sub imploded

Just on fifty miles away.

 

While down and out on the seabed lay

A young Commander’s son,

His blue-eyed stare in surprise out there

As his dreams were all undone,

Those final moments he thought he saw

A mermaid stroke his hair,

Who whispered, ‘This is Samantha,

I’ll be waiting for you there!’

 

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[TL Boehm]

He turned back once and he waved to her
And she thought she saw him smile,
Then lost herself in a dream of lace
As she walked on down the aisle.

The rain came down in a drizzle as
She lost the evening light,
She rose and wandered on homeward
In the bleak, unseeing night,
She didn’t see as the rescue ship
Sailed out into the bay,
But slept as the sub imploded
Just on fifty miles away.

So sad. Brilliantly written - a melancholy tragic tale.

[Dhaye]

Another great tale from the only Sir David Paget. A moving one, but an excellent piece!

[Keith]

Oh man, that's enough to bring a bloke undone! Especially this, when we know whats coming.

He turned back once and he waved to her
And she thought she saw him smile,
Then lost herself in a dream of lace
As she walked on down the aisle.

Sad but superb poem.

[Saumya]

this is realllly very painful and touching.....!!!
this touched my heart deeeeply.....!!!!
excellent work..!!!
well done...!!!
:)

[Onku Ghosh]

Brilliant !!!!Superb!!!

[Tomahawk Joe]

another great one

[quinfinn]

i have to admit that this plucked my heartstrings as i read the last two lines, however, it made a huge impact because i used to ride subs when i worked in the shipyard when they went out on sea trials. the seamen would never tell me how deep or fast we were going but i figured we were quite deep every time the bulkhead rivets began to pop out at us and ping off the opposite sides of the corridors. these were nuclear navy subs. it was quite some experience. thank you for another wonderfully penned poem.

[SyberRose]

A beautiful tale David...as always I loved it...nicely penned to perfection...Rose:)

[Stella Armour]

aw, a lovely tale David...the final lines as always have a little twist in them..wonderful penning my friend

[Baby Ricochet]

Great tragic tale Mr Paget. I can think of few things more terrifying than being in a U boat being depth charged by a destroyer.