Wealth at any cost?

Our ship was overloaded,
                     [as each of our trip.
Admittedly champions......
                       champions in gyp.

It was a routine day
    [of scraping and painting the deck.
The transistor radio
      [was broadcasting that the Czech
was separated from Slovenia
                                               [completely...

The boatswain with snide voice
                                            [said sweetly (!?)


''John, get the fuck up to the mast,
  to tie the ship's radio antenna,
                                    [and do it fast''.

After a few minutes
           [John shouted from above,"done",
and the boatswain answered,
           ["then get down in one piece son". ​

Some time passed,
                   [but John remained on the mast....

Maybe the captain's wife,
  [with her swimwear blue and reddish cast​
was on the upper deck sunbathing,
                                 [thought the boatswain,
and then smiling said
                        [I'm sure that John is gazing". ​

At that very moment,
              [all heard the load voice of John, ​
which interrupted
                              [and the captain's yawn
who came out of the ship's bridge
                        [shouting what is going on?

Fire on a ship nearing,
              [stranded on the rocks of ​Ceylon,
and we heard in the voice.......the terror.
Was the response (from the mast)
                                  of the terrified sailor....​

Almost immediately
   [we received the S, O, S,* via a whaler,                    *Save our shouls 
and shortly after another message :
            "crew has abandoned the ship."

The captain cried:
                           'Τhis is our lucky trip,
we would all be rich
         [if we could tow the abandoned vessel ..
but to achieve it,
                         [by nature we should wrestle''.

___________


The sudden storm had caused huge waves
which were beating the six volunteers
                                 (wealth everyone craves)
who in the small boat
                       [were going to tie the wire tow ...

Climbed, pulled up extinguishers
                                          [and wire in the row....

Then......the terrible explosion
                               [of the burning tanker...

She was just a ship.....
                                [she was not a banker.

___________


Τhis whole mission of these six volunteers lost.
A heavy forfeit to get a couple of rocks*.....                                    *million dollars 
                                                  Wealth at any cost?

____________________________________________

* Extract from "The Broken Mooring Line", an experiential
poetic work // c45 // e-mail: pmataragas@yahoo.com //
Texts and Narration: Odysseus Heavilayias - ROTTERDAM //
Language adjustments and text adaptation: Kellene G Safis - CHICAGO//
Digital adaptation and text editing: Cathy Rapakoulia Mataraga - PIRAEUS// _______________________________________________________________

* Sea low, It is expressly provided by law that, for the ship's rescue, provided by law remuneration paid and distributed as required by law.
According to this law, half the value of the ship gets the owner of the ship will tow to a safe harbor, 1/4 the master and the remaining 1/4 of the crew of the ship salvor and distributed according to the size of the offer each. That is why volunteering!


  the tales of a greek sailor  

Stored in a treasure chest

                      1969

   On the bridge of our ship,
                     [the New York pilot seemed furious
and to know why, to know the reason,
                                                [I was very curious.

The helmsman told me
                          [that the man had heard the news​,
the inadmissibility of the flirting
                                            [on the Onassis cruise.​

YANKEE PILOT (Sandy Hook Pilots)

As the pilot boat (Sandy Hook Pilots)
                                    [was pulling away
and we were heading
        [to Virgin Islands after a long delay,
I was thinking....

           [that it was just like a hand in glove
any unacceptable flirting with some
                                                   [great love.

      

The trip was short,
                  [and we would only stay a few hours.

We were shopping for everything
                        [from jewelry to artificial flowers,
from the famous exotic tourist place.

Later while I was watching
                         [the local yacht race,
I got chatting with a visitor on the island,
an American tourist from Rhode-Island....

I asked him why all the shops were selling treasure chests
and were surprised to hear
                     [we were on the island of treasures he attests.

I thought it was a good idea
                                  [to buy myself such a chest..
to save money that will be like an order, a behest.


Since that trip to Virgin Islands,
                                         [many years have passed..
I became an old man,
                    [and thought I' d open the chest, at last.

I was impatient, I was curious, I wondered
how many pounds of gold would I find,
                                        [fifty... a hundred?

Finally the treasure
                  [that I collected in my life was greater.
A priceless treasure and to estimate,
               [there is no assessor, no counter, no rater.

In my treasure chest there was just a recollection!
A single soft caress on her hair with love,
                                       [and with much affection ...

___________________________________________________

* Extract from "The Broken Mooring Line", an experiential

poetic work // page c44 // e-mail: pmataragas@yahoo.com //

Texts and Narration: Odysseus Heavilayias - ROTTERDAM //

Language adjustments and text adaptation: Kellene G Safis - CHICAGO//

Digital adaptation and text editing: Cathy Rapakoulia Mataraga - PIRAEUS//

_______________________________________________________________

* TREASURE ISLAND,  is an adventure novel by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, narrating a tale of "buccaneers and buried gold". First published as a book on 14 November 1883 by Cassell & Co., it was originally serialized in the children's magazine Young Folks between 1881 and 1882 under the title Treasure Island or, the mutiny of the Hispaniola with Stevenson adopting the pseudonym Captain George North.
Traditionally considered a coming-of-age story, Treasure Island is a tale noted for its atmosphere, characters and action, and also as a wry commentary on the ambiguity of morality – as seen in Long John Silver – unusual for children's literature. It is one of the most frequently dramatized of all novels. The influence of Treasure Island on popular perceptions of pirates is enormous, including such elements as treasure maps marked with an "X", schooners, the Black Spot, tropical islands, and one-legged seamen bearing parrots on their shoulders. 

* THE MAP : http://www.treasureislandtheuntoldstory.com/

* VIRGIN ST. CROIX SHOPPING,     If you love to shop, you’ll find it hard to resist the best duty-free shopping in the Caribbean. With an allowance of $1,600, double that of other islands, U.S. residents can enjoy the shopping experience. You may send gifts to friends and relatives (excluding tobacco and alcohol), but no more than one package per day to the same address — up to $100 in value. These items need not be declared.

U.S. residents, including children, are allowed to spend $1,600 without incurring any duty on goods purchased. You will need to complete a customs form for these items and may be asked to produce receipts, so it’s important to keep a good record of what you bought. Perfume, jewelry, tobacco, cameras, crystal, china and electronics are available for 30-60% off U.S. prices. If you’d like to take advantage of our great prices on liquor, take back up to six bottles, as long as one is made in the Virgin Islands (such as Cruzan Rum).

In St. Croix’s historic towns of Christiansted and Frederiksted, unique shopping opportunities abound. The Christiansted Boardwalk, Company Street, Kings Alley Walk, Caravelle Arcade and the PanAm Pavilion all provide shopping opportunities in Christiansted. Take a stroll on Frederiksted’s Strand Street for great shops.

* PILOT BOATS,    There are two station boats, the Pilot Boats New York and New Jersey. They are used to perform the daily responsibilities of the pilots on station. The PB New York is used as the winter boat and the PB New Jersey is utilized during the summer months.
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  the tales of a greek sailor