Memories Now My Constant Keep.

Dead of night

Dark as hell,

Tea, coffee for each up there,

In the wheelhouse drank,

Keeping watch,

Keeping safe,

In no way for some sleep;

Middle watch I did keep,

No dramas then,

Nothing on screen

Radar going round and round

In endless circle.

Oh!

They were the days

Of long ago,

Reminiscence from my past

When in the 60’s so,

minesweeper on patrol,

Ten miles up;

And ten miles back,

Tonight, not friend;

Tonight, not foe. 

Sometimes now I wonder,

I beg your pardon?

What was I?

What was I doing there?

Ship’s cook brandishing forth,

A Bren gun from rack to shoot!

Binoculars too,

A mop to swab,

And stores to bring from below,

Helping to keep the motley crew,

Happy with their vittles.

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