Sailing the exotic places in the world

Mother and father have gone sailing you know
in their golden years, they packed up to go
far from the winds and the cold and the snow,
south to the sun and the sea.
I love to think of them sailing there,
the blue of the water the gold of the air.
Skimming the white caps without a care;
imagine a life so free.
I have built up a picture of sea and sky;
of lazy harbours and bays drifting by.
I have built up this image of pie in the sky;
till the first email comes by

The propeller shaft’s knocking, the fuel injector’s clogged.
There is mold in the cupboards, the hull is water logged,
the heat exchanger’s bunged up, it won’t exchange it’s heat.
The spinnaker blew out and they lost another cleat.
But in spite of these incidents, when all is said and done;
it’s great to spend their golden years sailing in the sun.

Mother and father have gone sailing you know,
down in the south where the fair winds blow,
basking all day in the warm sun’s glow while sea birds circle and dive.
I think of them strolling some silver shore,
small dingy bobbing, the flash of an oar;
sleek hulls shadowing the ocean’s floor,
and the second email arrives.

They lost both their chart plotter and GPS and now the mainsail is torn.
A clutch has seized the seals are blown so now the watermaker’s gone.
Some moron ran aground last night and blocked the harbour’s mouth,
But they couldn’t leave there anyway; the winds were not from the south.
But in spite of these incidents, when all is said and done;
It’s great to spend their golden years sailing in the sun.

Yes mother and father are sailing today;
crisp bow throwing off a fine spray.
Sails stretched taut as they cleave their way,
through crystal waters clear.
I like to think of them browned by the sun,
Enjoying the speed of a long clear run,
To a small still bay when day is done.
But a third email is here.

The captain’s quite anxious, the radio has stopped,
oil pressure’s dropping, the halyard’s in knots.
They dragged on their anchor and hit a small reef,
the bilge pump’s not working there is just no relief.
But in spite of these incidents when all is said and done.
I am glad they are spending our inheritance sailing in the sun.


Corinne C. Klanter
With adaptations by Ken Squirrell