by Ava D. Dohn
* * *
Red Ocean Red
An icy chill burned in her lungs as she hailed her crew below.
“We’ve got the devil’s work to do. Quick! To your duties now!
Heave off the lines, tie hatches fast, for the northern tempest blows.
‘Buy us an hour’, the admiral asked, and that is what we’ll do.”
With siren blasts and signal flags, she heeled her ship to port,
And bid goodbye to the passing fleet,
As she steamed from Hammond’s Fort.
They found the straits all choked with ice as they passed out Cortney Bay.
And sleet froze to the mizzenmast, the wires, and the stays.
“Full speed ahead!” the captain yelled. “Fear not the bitter sea!
Think of it as your mistress dear, and not your coming graves.”
Angry waves broke o’er the bow, swept ship from stem to stern.
Still on the ancient frigate charged, the captain showing no concern.
The screaming winds were gale force, pushing ice sheets six feet thick,
When the captain ordered, “Stations all!” as they raced into the breach.
With guns ablaze and torpedoes charged, they rammed a cutter through,
Then hard off to the starboard turned, and made for a dreadnaught, too.
Midst sheets of flame and iron shards, captain and crew fought on.
‘Til the decks were running red with blood,
And the fighting bridge was gone.
“Put her on the ice!” The captain cried, as shells holed the waterline.
“They won’t sink us without a fight, which has only now begun!”
With the ship stuck fast, they took their aim and let torpedoes go.
A shudder came from the boiler room, then shouts, “Fire down below!”
There was no call to “Abandon ship!” though all knew the end was nigh.
The crewmates bravely stood their posts, not fearing they soon would die.
When the fire reached the magazine, the ship was blown in two.
The stern sank fast into the sea, but the bow gun fired true.
Then the ice on which the frigate rest gave way in a shattered groan.
The proud ship slipped beneath the waves, and its fearless crew all drowned.
Upon the scarlet-colored ice, the captain’s body lay.
It drifted south, back through the straits and into Cortney Bay.
And on one chill and frigid morn, it passed the admiral by.
He gazed upon the frozen face and wailed a mournful sigh.
Tears rolled down the admiral’s cheeks as he cried out all forlorn.
Before his eyes a vision came, and along with it was borne
A smile broke on the captain’s face, and to the admiral said,
“You asked us for an hour, Sir. We bought you two, instead...”
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