The Californian

For those unfamiliar with the story, the SS Californian was the ship which lay nearest to the Titanic when she was in distress.

We didn't know, how could we?

None of us knew her, why would she

go down like that, in a blaze of lights?

That wasn't her, it was one of those nights

Still, clear, and frozen, just unlike Time

Now just like her, the belle of the line

Like a giant iron heart, broken in two

spilling an inventory of all the 'who's who'.

We couldn't have known, why would we?

It shouldn't happen to us, how could she

cross our path as she did, in the moonlight?

Leave us screams in our dreams and our hindsight

If only this God of ours had shown us a sign

and helped us to see what we've now left behind

Not left us in darkness, to the nightmares we're due

of the debris, the life-belts, and a corpse's lost shoe.

We followed procedure, why shouldn't we?

The Captain was right, now where is she?

At the time he turned over and put out his light

Our radio man had turned-in for the night

We saw faraway rockets that shone as benign

and her stern-light drew-off through these glasses of mine

Rose-tinted, blind - what did we do?

Seems we waved her goodbye, but if only we knew.

Reviews

[Fran Marie]

If only this God of ours had shown us a sign
and helped us to see what we've now left behind
Not left us in darkness, to the nightmares we're due
of the debris, the life-belts, and a corpse's lost shoe

Oh wow, what a powerful detailed piece this truly is
the above verse is deeply gripping...i don't know how
you do it , each of your writings are worded so beautifully
and just get better and better filled with vivid imagery
it tugs at the readers soul~you my friend are a gifted writer!

[jasonaspraggins]

Fantastic. What more is there to say? Very well done.

[.]

A haunting historical piece, really impressed that you tackled this from a different angle, not from the Titanic herself or the passengers..it was insightful and clever. This subject has been banded about so much that the thought of a poem on it wouldn't have drawn me in, thankfully your twist on the subject has come across really well.. as usual a wonderful poignant piece of writing..

[Antonio Valentino]

Man you are the schizzle you know that? Being a Californian myself, this title caught my eye, what a tragic event penned equisitely by a master.

Corey's right if you were a girl... lol

Great write my friend!
Antonio

[Poeticpiers]

Beautifully crafted history lesson sir

[miSS LEaf]

couldn't have said it better, my hat's off to you, Sir :)

[Annette Jay Sweeney]

Woot! I've been looking at various entries for this since I have a Titanic fascination. Yours is definitely catching. I'm surprised to see you rhyme, but it works pretty well. I like the spin you took on this story. Very beautifully done.

[Alicante lullaby]

Devons..the pauses and the breaks and first two lines of every stanza are sooo beautifully crafted...GET YOURSELF PUBLISHED...Seriously,what r u waiting for..

[Chloe..Across the Unive..]

Devons this is a very good take on the image of the beautiful Titanic.
I had read of the Californian being close by ..
The poems flows like the ocean she sailed upon.. and like the horror that came to her and those aboard , your poem is haunting... as I would imagine the captain and crew were after this tragedy... so close yet so far..
"We saw faraway rockets that shone as benign
and her stern - light drew-off" "Rose tinted glasses.. "
the last line, one many of us have said , "Seems we waver her goodbye, but if wel only knew".
This is haunting .. like The Titanic..

Chloe

[.]

"in the moonlight
Leave us screams in our dreams and our hindsight
If only this God of ours had shown us a sign
and helped us to see what we've now left behind
Not left us in darkness, to the nightmares we're due
of the debris, the life-belts, and a corpse's lost shoe."
...this reads so well..
...i love this!!!:-))))))
a wonderful piece of poetry!!!:)

james:-)