Bill C Montpelier

TITANIC
APRIL 14-15, 1912
DEDICATED TO THE 87TH ANNIVERSARY

STEAMING FROM THE PORT OF OLD SOUTHAMPTON
HER FLAGS AND SPIRITS RUNNING HIGH
TWO THOUSAND AT HER RAILINGS WAVED, UNKNOWING
IT WOULD BE… THEIR… LAST… GOODBYE

ELEGANT LADIES WAVED LACE HANKIES, BLOWING KISSES
TO ONES ON SHORE WHO BADE FAREWELL
ON A SHIP, EQUALLY ADMIRED BY WEALTHY PASSENGERS
AS THOSE IN STEERAGE, NOT AS SWELL

DAPPER GENTLEMEN AND HIGHBORN LADIES…
ARISTOCRATIC NAMES, KNOWN FAR AND WIDE
JUBILANTLY COMMENCED THIS MOST MOMENTOUS VOYAGE
UPON THE WHITE STAR’S FONDEST PRIDE

TITANIC…. THE ATLANTIC’S FINEST JEWEL!
WITH VOYAGERS, TWENTY-TWO HUNDRED AND NINETEEN
SET OFF TOWARD HER DESTINATION
WITH STRONG AND PORTLY HEAD OF STEAM

THE PRIDE OF IRELAND’S SHIPYARDS
BOUND… FOR LADY LIBERTY IN NEW YORK
WITH THE ASTORS AND THE STRAUSES, THERE
TO TAKE HER MAIDEN VOYAGE

SOON, PASSENGERS HAD FINALLY SETTLED DOWN
TO A WEALTH OF EXTRAVAGANT AMENITIES
LAVISH FOOD… DRINK…. AND ENTERTAINMENT
EVERY IMAGINED OFFERING… THAT COULD PLEASE

AN EXQUISITE AND LOVELY LADY, TITANIC…
WITH CRYSTAL CHANDELIERS ALL BURNING BRIGHT
AND MOONLIGHT GLEAMING UPON HER POLISHED DECKS
STEAMED ON THRU DARKEST NIGHT

ON APRIL 14TH.,,NEAR NEWFOUNDLAND IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC
WITH A MERE FEW DAYS ‘NEATH HER JEWELED BELT,
SHE SAILED OBLIVIOUSLY TOWARD THE DARK AND HIDDEN ICE FIELD
AND… THAT SLIGHTEST THUD…. SO BARELY FELT

SUDDENLY… FROM THE WATCHTOWER CAME THE WARNING CALL!
‘TWAS THE WATCHMAN’S FRANTIC ‘ICE BERG’ SHOUT..
AS HER WHEEL WAS SWUNG IN QUICK RESPONSE..
SLEEPY CREWMEN ALL COMMENCED TO DASH ABOUT

‘OH, NOT TO WORRY, IT’S BUT A MINOR THING!’
WAS AT FIRST, THE WORD UPON THE SHIP
REASSURING… “SHE… IS… UNSINKABLE!!!”
UNTIL…. HER BOW BEGAN TO SLIP…

THEN OUT WENT THE MESSAGE, NOT TO BE BELIEVED
A FRANTIC S.O.S. WAS SENT
AND WITH MOST ABOARD STILL BLISSFULLY… UNAWARE..
HARD FORWARD SHE TORE… HELL-BENT!

THO… NO ONE WOULD THINK IT POSSIBLE
THAT HER SINKING WAS AT HAND
TITANIC WOULD TRY TO MAKE A RUN FOR IT….
T’WARD SAFE HAVEN OR ANY PORT OF LAND…

AS HER FRANTIC DISPATCH DREW IN MORE RUSHING WATER
A SEVERED HULL WOULD FURTHER BREACH AND FILL
SEALING THE FATE OF LADY TITANIC AND HER PASSENGERS
TERRIBLE FACTS… WOULD SOON REVEAL

Titanic
-2-

NOW, LISTING MUCH MORE MARKEDLY AND MORE ASKEW
UPON THE WATERS’ BREAK…
PASSENGERS BEGAN TO GRASP THE FRIGHTFUL TRUTH.
SOON, SO MANY LIVES TO TAKE

WHEN THE CALL WENT OUT FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN
TO TAKE WHAT LIFEBOATS WERE AT HAND
SOME WELL-BRED LADIES WOULD DECLINE TO LEAVE
BEGGING… TO STAY BESIDE THEIR MEN

THEN, WITH SURVIVAL OF PASSENGERS NOW IN PERIL
AS THE LIFEBOATS FELL FAR SHORT…
FRANTIC VOYAGERS SCRAMBLED ABOUT IN NIGHTCLOTHES
PRAYING…. FOR SOME FAR OFF PORT!

AND, AS ONLY SOME SEVEN HUNDRED OF THOSE ABOARD
SET OUT IN LIFEBOATS.. SCARCE AND FEW
TITANIC’S BOW SUNK NEARER TO THE WATER
LYING MORE AND MORE ASKEW

WITHIN HELP’S RANGE, THE ‘CALIFORNIA’ DISMISSED FLARES AND S.O.S.
MISTANKEN SHE’D SEEN TITANIC STEAMING JUBILANTLY ALONG HER WAY
AND, SOON, THERE BECAME LITTLE ELSE THAT ANYONE COULD DO
BUT WRING THEIR HANDS….. AND… PRAY!

MUCH TOO LATE… CALIFORNIA’S ERROR WOULD BE REALIZED
‘TWAS NOT THE SINKING TITANIC SHE HAD MET
THUS, BEGAN THE CRIES OF DROWNING LOVED ONES
THOSE TO SURVIVE… WOULD NE’ER FORGET

THO’ WHEN UP FROM THE LIFEBOATS CAME THE WAILS AND PLEAS
“WE MUST GO BACK FOR THEM… BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!”
HESITATION…. TOOK THE FOREFRONT
IN FEAR THAT SUCH ATTEMPTS, MIGHT ALSO SEAL THEIR FATE

AS THOSE LEFT BEHIND COURAGEOUSLY FACED THE TERROR
STEADFASTLY TRYING TO HOLD THEIR GROUND…
ONE BY ONE, THEY’D SLIP BENEATH THE FROTHY ARMS OF SURF
AS THE MIGHTY OCEAN PULLED THEM DOWN

AND AS THE WEEPING WIDOWS AND THE CHILDREN
WHOSE BELOVED FAMILIES NOW WERE GONE
SCANNED DARKENED WATERS FOR MORE SURVIVORS…
THE CARPATHIA WAS STEAMING ON

OH, WHAT A SIGHT…. ‘TWAS THE DEAR CARPATHIA!
SURVIVORS KNEW THEIR RESCUE WAS AT HAND
AS THEY WEPT AND PRAYED FOR LOST LOVED ONES…
NEVER AGAIN TO KNOW… A BLESSED REFUGE… OF DRY LAND

AND, THO, KNOWING THERE WAS BUT LITTLE HOPE
FOR THEIR LOVED ONES TO BE FOUND
TEAR-FILLED EYES STILL SEARCHED THE SULLEN DECKS
FOR…. FAMILIAR FACES…. IN THE CROWD

THEN, EVEN AS TITANIC TOOK HER FINAL PLUNGE
SWALLOWED…BY THE MERCILESS, CHURNING SEA
THOSE LEFT ABOARD STILL CLUNG AND PRAYED FOR SAFETY
EVEN KNOWING IN THEIR HEARTS… THAT IT WAS NOT TO BE..

AND WITH HER BREATH ESCAPING ONE LAST TIME
AND HER BOILERS BELCHING OUT THEIR FINAL ROAR
THE PROUD AND LOVELY LADY… GAVE UP THE GHOST…
AS HER TORN AND BROKEN BODY FINALLY TOOK IT’S ETERNAL RESTING PLACE…
UPON THE OCEAN’S FLOOR.

OH, BEAUTIFUL TITANIC……….

By Mary Beth Bott 3/22/99