oceanic stillness

Oceanic Stillness

The old cargo ship was slowly finding
her way across the ocean,
cigarette smoke
and talk of New Orleans when
her engine stopped.

Gentle heaves of the calm sea and stillness
as unwelcome thoughts entered,
a deck, rust the puss of irons,
between us and a maritime world
we only ploughed the surface of.

So vast the ocean and so small we are,
hushed voices. After a few attempts
the engine started, sigh of relief, forward motion,
the constant drone, blocking out
Our vulnerability.