As I saw the change in Southampton port, this poem was composed.
Scrapbook of an Sea Port
Arriving and leaving, sailing in and out
Joy and sorrow, anxiety and bravado
Immigrants, emigrants, home comers and visitors
Human flotsam swept from the sea.
Ocean Terminal built to look like the bridge of a ship
Greeting the rich, famous and the poor.
Titanic sailing to its doom
Streamers filling the air joining ship to shore
Laughter and excitement as the band plays.
Mauritania with four funnels smoking
Ploughing through Atlantic gales
To the pop of champaign corks and caviar.
Queen Mary proud and elegant
Luxury for the few, crowded for the crew.
Queen Elizabeth all dressed in grey
Disgorging soldiers to fight far from home.
Liners full of hope and fear
Black faces eager to sight the new land
Not dressed for the cold and missing the sun.
Southern Cross off to a new brave life in Australia
Brits longing for the sun and freedom.
Windsor Castle off to the Cape
Waiting for the clock to play
“ Oh God Our Help in ages past”
And chime four on Thursday.
United States big glitzy and brash
The fastest liner on the seas.
Ocean Terminal knocked down
The elegant front a pile of rubble
A compound for imported cars.
QE 2 sails from a nondescript berth
With iron roof but still the fanfare.
Tokyo Maru modern but like a floating Box
All angles and slab sides and functional
Like the containers she carries
Arriving and leaving anonymous in the night.
Ocean terminal gone but ships sail in and out
Always moving on.
Eddie Gubbins