On the Reef.

Long, our voyages, across many oceans,
sailing in a fortune for the shipping nobility
not that we minded, both them and the state
told us how good we’re and we walked tall
and were honest. It began as a faint rumour
a whispering cloud of discontent, we’re to
demanding our income too high, seafarers
from third world countries could do our job
for less than half the price. Clouds became
a thunderstorm and when weather cleared
we were ashore were we walked close to
buildings as we met no sympathy by those
who read how good our life had been; and
many drowned in the big swells of neglect