The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #37493 Message #2350025
Posted By: Charley Noble
27-May-08 - 08:19 AM
Thread Name: C. Fox Smith Sea Poems (PermaThread)
Subject: LYR ADD: Queen's Ships, The
Jim and I have now posted most of the additional Punch poems at the Oldpoetry website (under Cicely Fox Smith), bringing the total to over 600 poems. Here's the last poem that Smith published in Punch Magazine, in tribute to England's new queen as well as beloved ships:
From Punch Magazine, Vol. 224, June 17, 1953, p. 715
The Queen's Ships
Queens' ships, Queens' ships… Gloriana's mariners, Putting forth to sea Afire to beard the Spaniard Wherever he may be…
Hanging on the Plate fleets' flanks Like hounds upon the deer, Roving, raiding, voyaging Year on weary year.
Leaking, reeking, nail-sick, Rolling home again With their scurvy-rotten seamen And the plunder of the Main.
Queens' ships, Queens' ships… Stately first rates Of Good Queen Anne's day, Plunging deep their gilded bows In the trampled spray –
With their fighting ship's companies That well the Frenchmen knew And their brave bewigged admirals Of the white, red and blues –
Rooke that gained Giblalter, And gallant Leake also, Myngs and stout old Shovell And honest Benbow…
Queens' ships, Queens' ships… Little ships and great ships, The seven seas over, Keeping up the long patrol From Davis Straits to Dover. (Franklin in the Arctic, Gunboats at Rangoon, Calliope at Apia Fighting the Typhoon) –
Cruising, sounding searching, Keeping clear the seas, Through the little wars of Britain And the piping times of peace.
Queens' ships, Queens' ships… Great ships, small ships, From the wide seas beckoned, Gather to salute Elizabeth the Second…
Ships pass, men pass, The old ways grow strange, All but the old faith That knows not any change –
The old love that alters not Through all the years between Valiant Tudor cockleshell And sleek grey submarine… Love and faith to England And to England's Queen!